Iran could restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz within a week if the United States reduces military pressure and ends its blockade of Iranian ports, media reported on Tuesday.
The offer came after Iran’s military central command said on Sunday that it had received information indicating the US was preparing to resume military operations with backing from regional allies. Iran warned that any renewed action would trigger an Iranian response “without limitations and considerations”.
According to the senior official, the US would first need to publicly commit to resolving the dispute through diplomacy and formally announce its position before both sides could establish a timetable for further steps.
The official also said Iran’s delegation attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York had been given full authority to pursue a resumption of diplomatic engagement with the US.
Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said Iran was prepared for a prolonged conflict but remained open to negotiations if they were deemed necessary to protect national interests, state news agency IRNA reported.
Mohebbi said Iran’s armed forces were fully prepared for war and that the IRGC had made preparations for a lengthy conflict. However, he stressed that military preparedness did not preclude diplomacy, describing negotiations as another arena in which national interests could be pursued.
He further claimed that the recent US-Israeli conflict with Iran had highlighted vulnerabilities in the US military presence in the region, including its bases, intelligence capabilities and deployment in the Persian Gulf.
Mohebbi said Tehran would determine its course based on what best served its national interests, whether that meant continuing military action, entering negotiations or pursuing both simultaneously.
