The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States and Oman have offered to release a portion of Iran's frozen assets in exchange for Iran ceasing to levy fees on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal was reported by Israeli media and follows earlier US-led diplomatic efforts involving Qatar.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday evening that the United States and Oman have jointly proposed to Iran a partial release of its frozen assets abroad, conditioned on Tehran ceasing to collect transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The report adds Oman as a co-proposer, a detail not present in earlier WSJ dispatches from the same hour, which had only mentioned a US offer.
At 18:25 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported the initial WSJ dispatch that the US had offered to release frozen funds for a full reopening of the Strait without fees. Within minutes, the WSJ updated its story to indicate that Tehran had refused that proposal, and later that the offer was for a full release of funds. The thread shows rapid evolution of the WSJ's reporting, all based on anonymous diplomatic sources, with the latest version now specifying Oman's role alongside the United States. No official confirmation from Washington or Tehran has been released.
As The Zioneer reported on June 20, the US and Qatar were crafting a plan to give Iran access to billions in humanitarian funds. Separately, on June 14, Qatar offered Iran a favorable timeline for releasing frozen funds. The current WSJ report indicates a distinct diplomatic track involving Oman, separate from the earlier Qatari mediation. The Zioneer also reported earlier today (18:43 Jerusalem) that the WSJ detailed a separate US-Omani initiative that Tehran reportedly refused, linking fund releases to a full reopening of the Strait — the new offer appears narrower in scope.
Iran's official response to this specific proposal remains unknown. The WSJ report is based on unnamed diplomatic sources, and neither Washington nor Tehran has confirmed the offer. The amount of funds to be released and the exact fee structure have not been specified.
6 developments
- DevelopingUS official says Iran told Washington it will not collect Strait of Hormuz tolls
- DevelopingIran analyst claims U.S. will collect Strait of Hormuz tolls, contradicting Tehran's officials
- DevelopingSenior US official: Strait of Hormuz to reopen 'with no tolls' under framework deal with Iran
- StrongEuropean powers increasingly accept Strait of Hormuz transit fees as Washington opposes
Source and signal
- Internal intake