US and Iran explore phased Hormuz deal as blockade remains, sources say

American and Iranian negotiators have discussed a phased arrangement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while ending the US economic blockade of Iran, according to people familiar with the talks cited by Reuters on 24 September. Discussions in New York have not produced an agreement. The waterway and the blockade remain central bargaining points after months of conflict between Washington and Tehran.

The reported approach would connect concessions by both sides in stages rather than require one government to yield its principal source of leverage first. A senior Iranian official described relief from the blockade and restored navigation through Hormuz as an initial step. Possible access to frozen Iranian assets was also raised. These are negotiating ideas, and the precise sequence and enforcement terms have not been settled publicly.

The United States wants ships to be able to pass through the strait, a route of major importance to international energy trade. Iran seeks relief from the pressure placed on its economy by the blockade and additional sanctions. Reuters reported that two Iranian sources, two regional officials and two Western diplomatic sources described a persistent obstacle: neither side wants to make its concession first without assurance that the other will follow.

The White House portrayed Washington as holding a strong negotiating position. An official said President Donald Trump remained open to talks under suitable circumstances while maintaining economic pressure on Iran. The official’s claims about the blockade’s effects are the administration’s assessment, not an independently established measure of the Iranian economy. Trump has publicly suggested a deal might follow the 3 November US midterm elections.

A separate issue is Iran’s proposal for fees on traffic through Hormuz. Regional sources told Reuters Tehran could move that demand out of the principal arrangement and into a side attachment, while Gulf governments have rejected payment for transit. That reported flexibility would be temporary and would not amount to Iran abandoning its position over administration of the waterway. Gulf leaders have also pressed for freedom of navigation and for the wider confrontation to be settled politically.

The diplomatic effort follows earlier attempts at a temporary understanding that did not end the conflict. On 22 September, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran could reopen Hormuz within seven days if the United States reduced military pressure and lifted its blockade. That was the official’s conditional account; it was not a confirmed US-Iran agreement. Iran’s public positions and reported private proposals need to be distinguished as the talks continue.

The negotiations have unfolded alongside the UN General Assembly in New York, where leaders have discussed the war and the disruption of shipping. A phased deal would need to specify when vessels could again use Hormuz and when the US blockade would end. As of the latest reporting, those reciprocal steps remained under discussion, with no announced timetable for implementation.