Iran Is Keen On Getting Hormuz Cleared: Why Smooth Sail In The Strait Matters

Last Updated:April 27, 2026, 16:42 IST

Why Iran Is Keen On Getting Strait Of Hormuz Cleared: For how long can Tehran’s economy sustain the impact of a total US naval blockade? News18 explains

Iran is offering to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz without addressing its nuclear programme, two regional officials with knowledge of the proposal said on Monday, as the country’s foreign minister made a visit to Russia, which he said was an opportunity to consult with Moscow regarding the war against Israel and the United States.

Iran also wants the US to end its blockade of the country as part of its proposal, said the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.

The new proposal, passed to the United States by Pakistan, likely won’t be supported by US President Donald Trump, who wants to end Iran’s atomic programme as part of an overall deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and make the ceasefire permanent. “We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us," Trump said Sunday to Fox News Channel. The Axios news outlet first reported Iran’s proposal.

Why Iran wants the blockade to end

Iran’s economy could sustain the impact of a total US naval blockade until at least August 2026. This timeline is based on Iran’s existing oil reserves “afloat" and its ability to maintain alternative revenue streams despite the siege, according to AP and Al Jazeera.

The Iranian state’s endurance is dictated by a “storage clock" and existing financial buffers:

13-20 days: Estimated time before Iran’s onshore oil storage capacity is completely full. Once reached, Iran must “shut in" older oil wells, which can cause permanent geological damage known as “water coning".

3 to 4 months: Duration that revenues from “afloat" oil — roughly 160-183 million barrels already in transit — can sustain the economy.

August 2026: The projected point at which current financial and logistical buffers may be exhausted.

Strategic and economic buffers

Iran is employing several measures to delay economic collapse:

Floating Storage: Tehran has reactivated decommissioned vessels, such as the 30-year-old VLCC NASHA, to serve as temporary sea-based storage for crude that cannot be exported.

“Toll Booth" Revenue: Iran has reportedly begun charging foreign vessels as much as $2 million for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with some payments brokered in Chinese yuan.

Asymmetric Tactics: The leadership is utilizing cyberattacks, guerrilla operations, and mine-laying in the Strait to increase the cost of the blockade for the U.S. and its allies, according to Al Jazeera.

The critical constraints

The standoff’s duration may be influenced as much by U.S. and global pressure as by Iranian endurance:

• President Trump faces a May 1, 2026, deadline marking the end of 60 days of authority to sustain foreign offensive operations without congressional approval.
• The blockade has reduced Strait of Hormuz traffic to less than 10% of normal levels, sending global energy prices soaring and drawing sharp condemnation from major trade partners like China.
• While officials claim a “Single Hand" unity, critics and former leaders like Javad Zarif have warned that continued resistance could lead to the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.

Facts and figures

The status of Iran’s enriched uranium has long been at the centre of tensions. Tehran has 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels, according to the UN nuclear watchdog agency.

Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,509 people in Lebanon, where the Israel-Hezbollah fighting resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 US service members in the region and six UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.

Another ceasefire — between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group — has been extended by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.

KEY FAQs

Why does Iran want the Strait reopened?

To restart oil exports and ease economic pressure, since a huge share of global (and Iranian) oil passes through it

Why is closure hurting Iran too?

It disrupts global trade, spikes tensions, and invites international pressure/backlash

Is reopening linked to diplomacy?

Yes. Iran is offering to clear Hormuz as part of negotiations to reduce conflict and sanctions

With AP inputs

News explainers Iran Is Keen On Getting Hormuz Cleared: Why Smooth Sail In The Strait Matters

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