Investigative journalist Danny Zaken reports that the Biden administration quietly authorized Doha to channel funds to Iran in exchange for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and a pledge not to attack Qatari energy facilities. The dual-track policy — publicly blocking Iranian oil exports while privately enabling transfers — is said to have formed the basis for a secret memorandum of understanding with the IRGC leadership.
Veteran Israeli investigative journalist Danny Zaken published a report late Monday claiming that the Biden administration secretly authorized Qatar to transfer funds to Iran in exchange for Tehran's commitment to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and refrain from attacking Qatari energy infrastructure. According to Zaken, the policy was dual-track: while Washington publicly maintained a blockade on Iranian oil exports, it privately enabled the cash flow to stabilize global energy prices. The arrangement reportedly formed the infrastructure for a confidential memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership.
If confirmed, the report would mark a dramatic departure from the Trump administration's stated policy of "maximum pressure" on Tehran. Earlier this month, The Zioneer published Trump's disclosure of a secret U.S. operation that seized millions of barrels of Iranian oil passing through Hormuz (as reported on June 10), and subsequently his confirmation of a broader deal with Iran to end hostilities and reopen the strait (June 14-15). Zaken's allegation suggests that behind the scenes, Washington was simultaneously sustaining Iran's access to hard currency — a claim that, if true, would significantly alter the public understanding of U.S.-Iran dynamics in recent months.
Neither the White House, Qatar, nor Iran has commented. Zaken is a veteran journalist for the Israeli financial daily Calcalist and frequently reports on intelligence and Middle Eastern affairs.
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