The United States and Iran resumed indirect technical negotiations in Doha on Wednesday, with the future of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz emerging as the principal obstacle to a broader accord. US officials warned that Iran’s insistence on imposing transit fees on vessels after the expiration of a 60-day memorandum of understanding could scuttle the chances of a comprehensive nuclear agreement. The talks, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, are part of a framework signed in mid-June that also encompasses a Lebanon ceasefire and the release of frozen Iranian assets.

According to US officials cited in American media, the message delivered to Tehran was that the economic windfall from sanctions relief—including unrestricted oil exports—would dwarf any revenue from maritime tolls. One official was quoted as urging Iran to “think bigger,” arguing that a full lifting of sanctions could be “100 times more valuable” than the fees. Iranian negotiators, led by deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, concentrated on the release of blocked funds and demanded progress on five specific clauses of the memorandum before moving to other dossiers. Gulf states, meanwhile, are reportedly examining how the strategic waterway would be managed once the memorandum lapses, with Washington insisting that any new arrangements require their consent.

The Doha meetings yielded a fragile understanding to preserve calm in the Strait of Hormuz for one week, allowing technical discussions to proceed without further military escalation. US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that technical teams were engaged and that talks were “going well,” though he noted they remained in early stages. Qatari mediators announced that separate sessions with both delegations had concluded with “positive progress” on memorandum-related issues, and the parties agreed to continue discussions. A reported understanding on a first tranche of $3 billion in frozen Iranian assets—earmarked for essential goods purchases, partly sourced from the US, rather than a cash transfer—was denied by the US administration, which stated no such agreement had been finalised.

The memorandum was brokered after a US-Israeli military strike on Iran in February and subsequent exchanges of fire, and it includes provisions for a Lebanon ceasefire and the reopening of Iranian ports. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with Qatari leaders to lay the groundwork, while US officials indicated that efforts to restrain Israel and secure its withdrawal from two test areas in southern Lebanon were part of the diplomatic package. The next round of discussions is expected to be scheduled shortly, though the unresolved fee dispute leaves the process vulnerable to collapse.