Iran and the United States hinted on Tuesday at the prospect of reviving negotiations to end the months-old war, with a senior Iranian official suggesting that the Strait of Hormuz could soon be reopened, as the presidents of both countries were due at the UN General Assembly in New York.

The event would be the first attended by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian since Israel and the US launched a joint operation against the Islamic Republic on February 28. Trump had said on Sunday he would be open to a meeting with the Iranian president.

A senior Iranian official said there were no plans for the two leaders to meet directly, but that Iran’s delegation had full authority to revive talks.

Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz to Gulf shipping within seven days if the US fulfilled Tehran’s demands to ease military pressure and lift an American blockade on Iranian ports, the Iranian official said, adding that Iran had conveyed its latest proposal to Washington via mediators last week.

“The US needs to announce that it wants to resolve the issue diplomatically, make that official, and then agree on a timeline for how the process will move forward,” the official said. “The UN General Assembly is a golden opportunity for the US to return to diplomacy.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC’s “Today” show the US was open to speaking with the Iranians, “especially if it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately achieving the goal of what this is all about.”

No face-to-face meetings between Iran and the United States are known to have taken place since........

© The Times of Israel