Iran Sets Two-Day Strait Reopening Clock Tied to U.S. Nuclear Deal

Iran announced Monday that it has prepared a two-day protocol to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear negotiations with the United States. This timeline reduces a previous seven-day estimate for implementation. The shorter schedule applies only if Washington accepts Tehran's specific demands.

Iranian officials stated that vessels passing through the reopened strait must follow a route jointly defined by Iran and Oman. Ships would also travel under direct Iranian supervision. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the plan remains the foundation for talks conducted through mediators. He described the move as a demonstration of Iran's good-faith approach to the process.

The demands from Tehran include the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Iran also seeks a ceasefire agreement that extends to Lebanon. Baghaei provided no evidence that the U.S. had accepted these terms or that Tehran had altered its initial list of seven conditions. President Donald Trump has recently oscillated between diplomatic overtures and threats of heavy bombing in his public remarks.

In Yemen, the Houthi-run health ministry reported that explosives struck a market in Taiz province on Monday. The attack killed two children and one other person, while injuring eight others, according to spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi. The ministry blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike. The United Nations migration agency reported that more than 300,000 people have fled the renewed fighting in the country.

China stated Monday that it will dispatch a special envoy to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the mission aims to ease tensions and promote stability. President Xi Jinping told Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said that the Gulf region should not become a site for great-power rivalry. China relies on the region for a large share of its oil imports.

The Israeli military concluded a sweeping operation in Hebron, West Bank, on Monday. The campaign began last month after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. Forces demolished the residences of the gunmen and confiscated weapons and vehicles. Hundreds of displaced Palestinians began returning to their homes as troops withdrew. Residents in Deir Bahha reported broken doors and shattered glass in their homes. Tamara Obei, a resident, said her family feared returning because they did not know if explosives remained in the house.

In Gaza, two Israeli airstrikes killed two men in the southern part of the territory early Monday. Nasser Hospital received the bodies of the victims. One man died in his home and the other in a tent. Gaza's Health Ministry said approximately 1,580 Palestinians have been killed since the October 2025 ceasefire began. The overall death toll now exceeds 74,500, a figure that does not distinguish between civilians and militants.