The United States and Oman are looking for ways to break Iran’s insistence on charging tolls for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington offering to unfreeze some of the $100 billion in Iranian funds held overseas, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the talks.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Doha this week to discuss with Qatari mediators how to break the impasse and settle the implementation of last month’s initial agreement to open the strait.
The US diplomats offered Iran a trade-off: relinquish its claim to control the strait and renounce toll payments in exchange for billions of dollars of unfrozen funds, the report said.
Talks had initially been progressing toward the release of $6 billion held in Qatar, but Iran’s decision to block the strait set back the release, the report added.
Negotiators are looking at an alternative proposal from Oman under which maritime services would be paid through a fund financed by voluntary donations, according to the report.
