Iran Offers to Reopen Strait of Hormuz During Beirut Visit
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh visited Beirut to demand a regional ceasefire and offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days.
Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh visited Beirut on October 15, 2026, to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. During the talks, Khatibzadeh argued that regional peace is only possible through a complete cessation of hostilities on all fronts, stating that fighting in any single area sustains the broader conflict.
Khatibzadeh claimed that Iran had previously secured an agreement to end the Israeli war on Lebanon via a June memorandum of understanding signed with the United States in Islamabad. However, he accused the United States and Israel of breaching that agreement through strikes on Iran and Lebanon. He characterized the U.S. military actions against Iran as unlawful but maintained that Iranian air defenses remain intact.
As a gesture against the imposed conflict, Tehran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. Khatibzadeh also expressed readiness to address inquiries from the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding Iran's nuclear program.
