Iran says it can reopen the Strait of Hormuz in two days and resume nuclear talks with the US if Washington meets its demands, as Mideast tensions stay high.

Iran said Monday it has a two day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States, cutting a process that was first expected to take seven days. The offer comes with conditions. Tehran has given no sign that it has softened its demands or that Washington has accepted its proposal.

The announcement lands as the region braces for a possible return to fighting. Iran’s top diplomat said Sunday he hoped the United States would choose diplomacy over other paths. President Donald Trump has swung between talk of negotiations and threats of heavy bombing in his public remarks.

Iran earlier said the plan could be carried out within a week if the United States met seven conditions, including an end to its blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran now says ships using the reopened strait would have to follow a route agreed by Iran and Oman and sail under Iranian supervision. Iranian officials have also said Washington must lift sanctions on Iranian oil sales and accept a ceasefire that covers Lebanon.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the plan remains the basis for talks with Washington through mediators. The shorter timeline, he said, shows Iran’s good faith. He did not say whether any of the seven conditions had changed.

The strait matters well beyond the region. A large share of the world’s oil moves through it, and Asian economies, India among them, rely heavily on Gulf supplies. Any extended disruption feeds straight into fuel prices and shipping costs.

China is moving to claim a diplomatic role. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid November, with a focus on easing tensions and promoting stability. President Xi Jinping told Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on Monday that the Gulf should not become an arena for great power rivalry. China depends on the region for much of its oil, and its interest is plain.

Elsewhere, the humanitarian toll is growing in Yemen. The United Nations migration agency said more than 300,000 people have fled renewed fighting between Iran backed Houthi rebels and Saudi backed government forces. The clashes broke a four year truce and have worsened conditions in one of the region’s poorest countries.

Taiz province in the southwest continues to take in displaced families. Many others are heading south to Aden, which has now received more than 56,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration. Abdusattor Esoev, who heads the agency’s mission in Yemen, said families are being forced to flee again, often with little more than the clothes they wear. They need shelter, food, clean water and health care, he said, and warned that thousands could go without help if funding does not arrive.

In the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said it has concluded an operation in Hebron that began last month after two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers. The army said it demolished the gunmen’s homes and seized weapons and illegal vehicles. The operation displaced hundreds of Palestinians, and some began returning Monday as part of the Israeli force pulled back.

Scenes in Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen’s neighborhood, showed explosives experts checking for unexploded devices while bulldozers cleared blocked roads. Some residents found their homes damaged. Wael Shawar said he returned expecting normal conditions and found a broken door and shattered glass. Tamara Obei said she feared bringing her children back. The children, she said, are already psychologically exhausted.

In Gaza, two Israeli airstrikes killed two men in the south early Monday, according to Nasser Hospital. One man was killed in his home and the other in a tent. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.

Major fighting between Israel and Hamas has largely stopped under the October 2025 ceasefire, yet Israel still carries out near daily strikes that it says target militants. Women and children are regularly among the dead or wounded. Israel says Hamas uses civilians as human shields. Gaza’s Health Ministry says about 1,580 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began, lifting the overall toll to more than 74,500. The ministry, part of the Hamas run government, does not separate civilians from militants.

For now, the next move belongs to Washington. Iran has set out its terms and its timetable. Whether the United States answers with talks or pressure will decide if the strait reopens or the region slides back toward open conflict.