Iran shortens Strait of Hormuz reopening plan to two days

The Middle East conflict has entered a new diplomatic phase as Iran announces a compressed timeline for restoring maritime trade and restarting nuclear negotiations. This development coincides with a Chinese diplomatic mission to the Gulf and continued displacement in Yemen.

Iran stated on Monday that it has a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States. This timeline is shorter than the seven-day window previously cited by Tehran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the plan relies on Washington meeting seven specific conditions. These conditions include lifting the blockade of Iranian ports and removing sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Iran also requires a ceasefire agreement that includes Lebanon.

Ships transiting the strait under the new plan would follow a route agreed upon by Iran and Oman. The vessels would travel under Iranian supervision. Esmail Baghaei, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said the plan remains the basis for negotiations conducted through mediators. He described the shorter timeline as a demonstration of Iran's good-faith approach. Baghaei did not indicate that Tehran had changed its demands or that the U.S. had formally accepted the proposal.

President Donald Trump has publicly alternated between pursuing diplomacy and threatening heavy bombing of Iran. Iran's top diplomat expressed hope on Sunday that the U.S. would choose diplomacy over other paths. The region remains on high alert for possible renewed fighting despite these diplomatic efforts.

China announced on Monday that it will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the envoy would focus on easing tensions and promoting regional stability. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said that the Gulf should not become an arena for great-power rivalry. China depends on the region for a large share of its oil imports.

In Yemen, the Houthi-run health ministry reported that explosives hit a market in Taiz province on Monday. The attack killed two children and one other person. Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike and said eight others were injured. The U.N. migration agency reported that more than 300,000 people in Yemen have fled renewed fighting. Aid groups face limited access to displaced families who are struggling to find shelter and essentials.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the International Organization for Migration's mission in Yemen, said families are often fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs. Many displaced residents are moving south to Aden. The fighting has broken a four-year truce between the Iran-backed rebel group and Saudi-backed government forces.

In the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military concluded an operation in Hebron that began last month. The operation followed a shooting in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. The military demolished the gunmen's residences and confiscated weapons and illegal vehicles. Hundreds of Palestinians were displaced during the operation. Some residents began returning to Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen's neighborhood, as Israeli forces withdrew.

Residents in Deir Bahha found damage to their homes after military raids. Wael Shawar, one resident, said he was shocked to find his door broken and glass shattered. Tamara Obei, another resident, said she feared bringing her children home due to concerns about explosives. She noted that the children were psychologically exhausted from the conflict.

Two Israeli airstrikes killed two men in southern Gaza early Monday, according to Nasser Hospital. One man was killed in his home, and the other was killed in a tent. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. About 1,580 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire began. The overall death toll in Gaza has exceeded 74,500, according to the Health Ministry.