Iran says US response to its proposal to reopen Hormuz was ‘insufficient’
By R Anil Kumar
Tehran/Washington/Bengaluru, Oct 11, 2026. The United States’ response to Iran’s seven conditions in a proposal to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz was “insufficient”, Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying.
Iran presented a proposal during the UN General Assembly under which the Strait of Hormuz waterway could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days if the conditions were met, to which the US later replied via Qatari intermediaries.
Washington needs to clarify the issues that remain unclear to Tehran, Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said, adding “we presented seven conditions to the Americans and clearly stated that the Strait of Hormuz would not be opened to them, and no negotiations would take place, until these conditions are met.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Rezaei said Iran is “no longer in the process of responding to the Americans”.
“In their response, they have accepted some of our conditions, while others remain unclear,” he added.
Tehran said late in September that it had received a US response to its latest proposal to resurrect the collapsed ceasefire in the Gulf, days after US President Donald Trump said he had rejected it.
Qatar and other mediators have transmitted messages between Washington and Tehran in an effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the war that began at the end of February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Two tankers attacked near Strait of Hormuz and Oman; two Indian seafarers missing
Meanwhile, Twocommercial tankers which were carrying Indian seafarers were attacked in separate incidents on October 11 in the Strait of Hormuz region and off Oman, leaving two Indian nationals missing, while 20 other Indians aboard the vessels were reported safe.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Valthera, carrying 11 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a fire onboard. All 11 Indian crew members were reported safe, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal posted on X.
In a separate incident, the Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT Petro Dolphin, also carrying 11 Indian seafarers, was subjected to a drone attack at Sohar Anchorage off Oman. Nine Indian crew members were rescued and reported safe, while two remained missing, with search-and-rescue operations underway by the local Coast Guard.
The Embassy of India in Muscat said it was closely monitoring the situation involving MT Petro Dolphin and remained in continuous contact with the concerned authorities.
In a statement on the attacks, Ministry of External Affairs condemned the incidents, saying the attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz region were deeply concerning and risked aggravating an already volatile situation.
The MEA said the Indian embassy in Muscat was coordinating with Omani authorities and the respective ship management companies to assist the missing seafarers and provide all possible support to the crews.
