Qatar proposes reopening Hormuz in exchange for inspections of Iran's nuclear sites

Qatar, the lead mediator in the US-Iran conflict, is trying to persuade Tehran to allow United Nations nuclear inspectors to visit its nuclear sites damaged by bombing. That includes the sites holding the country's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Under the proposal, Iran would not have to promise to move the stockpiled uranium out of the country. Other options on the table include reducing the uranium's enrichment level.

Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, has discussed the proposal with US President Donald Trump. The emir's office said on Friday that the call took place, but did not reveal what was discussed.

Qatar's state news agency said the emir stressed the importance of continuing dialogue, embracing diplomacy as the way to settle disputes, and preventing further escalation in the region.

Trump is still considering whether to strike Iran's nuclear sites again. But the credibility of his threats has weakened inside Iran after his vice-president, JD Vance, said the war itself — not just its cost to American consumers — was critical to the collapse of the Republican vote in the US midterm elections.

Under Qatar's proposal, the United States would immediately lift the naval blockade it has imposed on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and release a portion of Iran's frozen assets worth $8bn (£6bn).

In return, Iran would agree to visits by inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to its bomb-damaged nuclear facilities. The visits would be based on an abandoned agreement reached in Cairo in September 2025.

On the second day, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Ships would use a route agreed through talks with Oman, which the two countries would jointly submit to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Iran has several other preconditions for opening the strait. They include ending the war in Lebanon, withdrawing US forces from the Iranian coastline, a commitment to lift some economic sanctions, and agreement to pay war reparations. The order in which these commitments are made is at the heart of the mediation.

A memorandum of understanding spoke of setting up a $300bn reconstruction and development fund to help Iran recover economically. But it was never clear how this proposal would be funded.

Iran, in a triumphalist mood after Trump's election setback, is wary of letting UN nuclear inspectors back into the country. Tehran says it has lost faith in Rafael Grossi, the head of the inspectorate.

Tehran accuses Grossi of betraying his duty to uphold the nuclear non-proliferation treaty by failing to criticise the United States for bombing Iran's nuclear sites. Tehran fears that material gathered by the inspectors would be handed over to the Americans and Israelis as targeting data.

In parallel talks on opening the strait, Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, has spoken to Iran again. The talks covered the future administration of the strait, the agreed route, how temporary the agreement would be, and whether the proposal should be registered with the IMO as a bilateral agreement or a joint regional proposal. Oman's long-term proposal is that, in line with the law of the sea, shipping companies would be charged only for services in running the strait, not tolls.

Amir Hayat Moqaddam, deputy chair of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, told the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) on Tuesday that ships from four countries — China, India, Qatar and Iraq — had been allowed through the strategic waterway. He said the exemptions served mutual interests. Iran charged transit fees from Indian and Chinese vessels, while Qatari ships were allowed through free of charge. Medicine was received from India, while China provided political support.

Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at the analytics firm Kpler, said about 10.23 million barrels a day of Gulf crude passed through the strait in October. Around 42 percent went to China and 13 percent to India.

The navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said two 'violating' oil tankers that tried to pass through an unauthorised route in the eastern sector of the strait had collided with mines and caught fire. The IRGC said the two tankers had switched off their navigation and identification systems, and that the attempted crossing was made with the support of US military forces.