Iran says it awaits US response on seven-day roadmap to end war — SkimNews

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- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed a seven-day roadmap outside the UN Security Council on Friday, conveyed to Washington through Qatar, with Iran's terms requiring the US to lift its naval blockade, waive sanctions on Iranian oil, release an estimated $12bn in frozen Iranian assets, and observe a regional ceasefire covering Lebanon and Yemen.
- The timeline would begin with initial steps taking four to five days, the Strait of Hormuz reopening on day six, and nuclear talks starting on day seven, per Araghchi.
- The proposal closely mirrors a June 17 memorandum of understanding that collapsed within weeks over Hormuz shipping-control disputes, after which Trump declared the deal "over" in July and the US resumed sporadic strikes on Iranian territory.
- Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff met with Araghchi Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, calling the talks "lengthy" and saying he hoped they would "prove constructive and promising," while a White House official told CNN discussions through mediators were "positive and constructive."
- Cyrus Schayegh of the Geneva Graduate Institute said "basically nothing has really changed," arguing Iran wants to retain war-gained leverage while Washington resists returning to the June framework, and the source notes progress before US midterm elections in November appears unlikely.
Why it matters: Iran is asking Washington to relinquish its core wartime leverage — a naval blockade, oil sanctions, and roughly $12bn in frozen assets — in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried a fifth of globally traded oil and gas. With analysts identifying the plan as structurally similar to a June deal that already collapsed over Hormuz shipping rules and the November US midterm elections approaching, the diplomatic window looks narrow despite both sides' public openness.
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