By: Gavin Thorne – SeaPRwire – Oil is already moving. Talks are under way. The strait remains the lever. A U.S. official confirmed active discussions with Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The American side is in no rush. Nearly forty million barrels passed under U.S. escort in the past forty-eight hours.
The disclosure came on 25 September local time. A U.S. official told CCTV that after Iran proposed opening the strait and restarting negotiations once the proposal is accepted, the two sides are holding “active and constructive” talks. The official added that the United States is not pressing for quick results because it currently holds an advantageous position. He noted that almost forty million barrels of oil have transited the strait under U.S. escort in the previous forty-eight hours. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated earlier that Iran this week notified the U.S. mediator of a seven-day plan. If the specific conditions in the proposal are met, the Strait of Hormuz will open after the seven-day period expires and both sides will resume negotiations aimed at a final agreement.
Official language describes constructive dialogue and a timed Iranian offer. The practical layer is the continuous escorted oil flow and the explicit refusal to hurry. Forty million barrels in two days demonstrate that transit is already occurring under American protection. The seven-day clock is Iranian. The conditions attached to that clock are not detailed in the public statements. The U.S. position is framed as advantageous, which explains the measured pace. The sequence is clear. Iran tables a seven-day plan. Talks are described as active. Oil continues to move under escort. No final deal is announced.
The pendulum is held by the escort volume and the unmet conditions. Transit numbers will show whether the strait is functionally open or still restricted. The next public marker is whether the seven-day period produces an actual opening or simply more discussion. Until that marker appears the escorted barrels remain the only hard data.
Author bio: Gavin Thorne, overseas geopolitical commentator whose columns on energy chokepoints, naval escorts and Middle East negotiation leverage appear regularly in major international newspapers.