US official says Hormuz open toll-free for 60 days under Iran pact - Reuters

US President Donald Trump said that he does not expect much outside help will be needed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, citing the Iran deal that he said guarantees toll-free passage.

“I don’t think we’re going to need much help, because we have an agreement where it’s going to be open and it’s toll-free,” Trump said.

He added that limited participation by allied countries could still be useful, saying “it’s not a bad idea to have a ship or two” from several countries in the area.

“You’d be a great country to do it, because you never know what happens,” Trump said, without specifying which country he was addressing. “But I think it’s going to be open, and I think it’s going to be free sailing.”

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran had taken a major step toward final victory in a message addressed to the Iranian people.

“With your historic resistance and the courage of the armed forces against those who sought the life of this nation and the destruction and surrender of this country, Iran took a major step toward final victory. They wanted to, but could not,” he said in a post on X.

“We are standing, and in the end, our Iran will be victorious,” he added.

The United States secretly approved a financial and maritime arrangement between Qatar and Iran under which billions of dollars were paid to Tehran in exchange for free passage for Qatari tankers and ships through the Strait of Hormuz, Israel Hayom reported, citing three diplomatic officials.

The report said the secret US approval was granted about a month ago and aligned with Doha’s interest in opening a direct channel of communication with Tehran, which began to tighten after the ceasefire.

Qatar sought to buy security quiet, fearing a renewed Iranian attack on its facilities after one of its gas installations was attacked during the war, the report said.

While the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were hit by missile and drone attacks after the ceasefire, Qatar assisted Iran financially and remained protected, the report added.

As part of the arrangement, Iran demanded access to part of its deposits held in Qatar, while some payments were disguised as fees for tankers passing through Hormuz, the report said.

The report added that a broad credit line of up to $1 billion was opened for the purchase of goods through Qatar.

The memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran has been signed by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Reuters reported on Monday, citing a senior US official.

The official said details of the agreement would be released within the next 24 to 48 hours and that technical discussions would be launched later this week.

The official added that relief of frozen funds and sanctions relief would be tied to performance.

The senior US official said the US understanding was that Ghalibaf had been authorized by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to sign the agreement and negotiate.

The official added that Washington was prepared to release frozen funds and provide sanctions relief, adding that the US may make some small gestures at the beginning of the process.

The official said Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon was not a condition of the deal and that Israel would have the right to defend itself from Hezbollah attacks.

The heads of the Iranian and US delegations will likely meet in Switzerland on Friday, where the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States will be signed, followed by the first round of subsequent negotiations, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Araghchi added that Iran’s economy should not make itself dependent on or tied to such economic agreements through negotiations with the United States.

He said the negotiation process and implementation of the agreement would be planned based on “distrust, broken promises and past experiences.”