# Iran's president says many struggle for food as Tehran offers to reopen Hormuz if US lifts blockade

World & Diplomacy · 24 October 2026 · Iran
URL: https://connectthedots.news/event/2026-10-24-irans-president-says-many-struggle-for-food-as-tehran-offers-to

> Masoud Pezeshkian said many Iranians struggle to put food on the table, Iran's envoy to Pakistan said Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifted its blockade, and a US carrier was reported rearming for possible strikes.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on 24 October that "there are many people in this society who are struggling to put food on the table" because of the war, and called for an end to a "state of neither war nor peace" without saying how. The US blockade of Iranian ports has cut off Iran's oil exports and trade, AFP reported. [1]

Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, told a seminar in Islamabad that Iran remains open to talks under the interim deal brokered by Pakistan and Qatar in June. He said Tehran had conveyed through Pakistan that it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington lifted its naval blockade, and accused President Donald Trump of rejecting the offer by insisting the blockade continue. The AP report carried no US response. [2]

Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said on state television: "We will not allow U.S. military ships in the Persian Gulf under any circumstances and at any time." A Revolutionary Guard spokesman called US threats "largely for media consumption" and said Iran was ready for renewed hostilities. [3][4]

The Wall Street Journal reported that the USS George Washington carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea was loading long-range land-attack missiles and bunker-buster bombs for a possible resumption of strikes on Iran; US officials said no decision had been made. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack had said on 23 October that strikes could come "this weekend", while the White House has said there would be no attack before the 3 November midterm elections, Arab Times reported. [1][3][5]

## Who was involved

- [Masoud Pezeshkian](https://connectthedots.news/person/masoud-pezeshkian): Said many Iranians struggle to afford food and called for an end to 'neither war nor peace' [1]
- [Reza Amiri Moghadam](https://connectthedots.news/person/reza-amiri-moghadam): Said Iran would reopen Hormuz if the US lifted its blockade [2]
- [Ali Abdollahi](https://connectthedots.news/person/ali-abdollahi): Warned US warships would not be allowed into the Persian Gulf [3][4]
- [Donald Trump](https://connectthedots.news/person/donald-trump): Accused by Iran's envoy of rejecting the Hormuz-for-blockade offer [2]
- [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps](https://connectthedots.news/org/islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps): Said Iran was ready for renewed hostilities [1][3]
- [United States Navy](https://connectthedots.news/org/united-states-navy): USS George Washington group reported rearming for possible strikes [5]

## How others covered it

Sides: United States vs Iran. "Favours" is our reading of each article (see /sources#method).

- CBS News, 24 October 2026: "Live Updates: Iran warns that U.S. military not allowed in Gulf "under any circumstance"" [balanced] https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-trump-us-oil-gas-prices-strait-of-hormuz-midterms/
- Arab News, 24 October 2026: "Iran president says many struggling for food as war bites" [balanced] https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/iran-president-says-many-struggling-for-food-as-war-bites-3008077
- Mehr News Agency, 24 October 2026: "US merely dream of returning to Persian Gulf: Iran's top gen." [favours Iran] https://en.mehrnews.com/news/248844/Iran-not-let-rusting-US-warships-reenter-Persian-Gulf-region
- ABC News, 24 October 2026: "Iran remains open to talks with US under Pakistan-brokered deal, envoy says" [balanced] https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/iran-remains-open-talks-us-pakistan-brokered-deal-137539415
- Arab Times, 24 October 2026: "US Warships Lock and Load Missiles, Ready Aircraft for Possible Fresh Strikes on Iran" [balanced] https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/us-warships-lock-and-load-missiles-ready-aircraft-for-possible-fresh-strikes-on-iran/

## Linked stories

- Related to: [US and Israel draw up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the midterms, NYT reports](https://connectthedots.news/event/2026-10-22-us-and-israel-draw-up-plans-for-renewed-strikes-on-iran-after-the) (22 October 2026)

## Sources

1. Arab News, "Iran president says many struggling for food as war bites", 24 October 2026: https://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/iran-president-says-many-struggling-for-food-as-war-bites-3008077
2. ABC News, "Iran remains open to talks with US under Pakistan-brokered deal, envoy says", 24 October 2026: https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/iran-remains-open-talks-us-pakistan-brokered-deal-137539415
3. CBS News, "Live Updates: Iran warns that U.S. military not allowed in Gulf "under any circumstance"", 24 October 2026: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-trump-us-oil-gas-prices-strait-of-hormuz-midterms/
4. Mehr News Agency, "US merely dream of returning to Persian Gulf: Iran's top gen.", 24 October 2026: https://en.mehrnews.com/news/248844/Iran-not-let-rusting-US-warships-reenter-Persian-Gulf-region
5. Arab Times, "US Warships Lock and Load Missiles, Ready Aircraft for Possible Fresh Strikes on Iran", 24 October 2026: https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/us-warships-lock-and-load-missiles-ready-aircraft-for-possible-fresh-strikes-on-iran/