US has not confirmed Iran placed mines in Strait of Hormuz - NBC
The US military has not confirmed that Iran placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz despite continued searches of the critical waterway, NBC News reported on Friday, citing sources.
Military searches using underwater drones, robotic systems, and manned and unmanned aircraft have identified some objects that could resemble mines, but none have been definitively confirmed as such, the report said.
Despite Tehran’s firm demands for the immediate and unconditional release of $12 billion in cash upon the signing of an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, Qatari officials rejected the
According to a source close to a Qatari official involved in the discussions, Doha refused to transfer the funds directly or in cash to Iran. Instead, the money will only be made available as credit for Tehran to purchase essential goods and products directly from Qatar.
The restriction comes amid strong US opposition to granting Iran direct, unrestricted access to liquid financial assets.
Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (right) and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (left) depart for Doha on Tuesday, 5/25/2026
The recent high-stakes visit of a senior Iranian delegation to Doha, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has ended in a major diplomatic setback for Tehran, an informed source with knowledge of the negotiations told Iran International.
Despite Tehran’s firm demands for the immediate and unconditional release of $12 billion in cash upon the signing of an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States, Qatari officials rejected the request, agreeing to release only half of the amount under strict limitations, the source said.
According to a source close to a Qatari official involved in the discussions, Doha refused to transfer the funds directly or in cash to Iran. Instead, the money will only be made available as credit for Tehran to purchase essential goods and products directly from Qatar.
The restriction comes amid strong US opposition to granting Iran direct, unrestricted access to liquid financial assets.
Washington raised concerns that direct cash injections would provide the Iranian government with vital economic breathing room, allowing it to pay delayed public salaries and procure military equipment or other goods from foreign countries during a time of intense regional strain.
Iran International previously reported that Tehran had set the unrestricted release of the $12 billion held in Qatar as a strict, non-negotiable precondition before it would advance any preliminary diplomatic understanding or sign the proposed framework agreement.
While Speaker Ghalibaf explicitly requested liquid financial assistance to ease Iran's severe domestic economic pressures, Qatar’s counteroffer effectively bars Iran from using the capital at its own discretion in a blow to Tehran’s strategy in US talks.
Rather than gaining direct access to the cash, Tehran is now forced to spend the capped credit line solely within the Qatari market for essential commodities.
To prevent the dispute from derailing the broader, highly sensitive framework talks with the United States, which aim to secure a regional ceasefire and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, all participating parties have reportedly agreed to keep the details of this financial disagreement strictly confidential.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said on Friday US sanctions would not secure control over the Strait of Hormuz, following its designation by the US Treasury Department.
"The US Treasury Department recently announced sanctions on PGSA. PGSA, while condemning this action, considers being sanctioned by a country whose leader takes pride in piracy as a sign of its own positive performance. You will not gain control over Strait of Hormuz, which you failed to achieve through warfare and diplomacy, by means of sanctions either," it posted on X.
"Despite the provocative actions of the United States in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, this body continues, without interruption, to review and grant passage permits to non-hostile vessels in order to facilitate navigation. Statistics from the first month of the PGSA's activities will be published soon," it added.
A White House official told Al Arabiya English on Friday that a Situation Room meeting on Iran has concluded after lasting approximately two hours, reiterating that President Donald Trump will only agree to a deal that meets US interests and his stated red lines.
The official said Trump would “only make a deal that is good for America,” adding that Iran can never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
The heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Energy Agency warned on Friday that continued disruption to oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could increase risks to fuel security, market stability and broader economic resilience as demand rises in the Northern Hemisphere summer, CBS reported.
In a joint statement following a meeting on Thursday to discuss the Iran war, the three organizations said global oil inventories were being drawn down at a “record pace” after three months of restricted shipping through the strategic waterway.
They added that while the global economy remained resilient, some countries were already facing higher fuel costs, while fertilizer prices had surged ahead of planting season.
The statement warned that if shipping flows do not return to normal, continued rapid depletion of global oil inventories ahead of peak summer demand could pose increasing risks to fuel security and market conditions.
