The United States and Iran are discussing a plan to fully open the Strait of Hormuz about 30 days after the two countries reach a deal to end hostilities, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday, citing a Middle East diplomatic source.
The report adds concrete mechanics to a framework Tehran outlined over the weekend. According to Nikkei, Iran would clear mines from the strait during the 30-day window following an agreement, after which ships from all countries would be able to navigate freely and safely — and Iran would stop collecting the transit fees it has charged during the crisis.
The ceasefire agreed in early April would be extended for 60 days, with talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continuing during the two-month pause, the report added.
The mine-clearing pledge is the diplomatic counterpart to a sharp military escalation on the same day, when US Central Command struck two Iranian mine-laying boats and a Bandar Abbas air-defence battery — the first confirmed US strike since the ceasefire. It also sharpens the earlier Iranian account, via Tasnim, of restoring pre-war traffic within 30 days, which had not specified mines or fees.
The Strait carries about a fifth of global crude shipments, and its disruption since February has pushed Brent to multi-year highs and driven CPC diesel costs above USD 281 per barrel on recent shipments. A confirmed, fee-free reopening would unwind much of the freight and insurance premium weighing on Sri Lanka’s import bill. The first tankers exited the strait on Sunday, and US President Donald Trump has said a memorandum of understanding is largely negotiated.
