💢🇺🇸🇮🇷🇴🇲 According to The Wall Street Journal: The United States and Oman are looking for ways to persuade Iran to drop its demand for transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has proposed unfreezing billions of dollars of Iran’s blocked assets as part of a broader deal. In talks this week in Doha, U.S. officials proposed that Iran abandon its claim to receive transit fees in exchange for access to frozen funds abroad, including the possible release of $6 billion that is currently held in Qatar. However, negotiations have stalled because Iran continues to insist on charging ships for passage through the strait—a system that Tehran believes could generate up to $40 billion in revenue per year. As an alternative, Oman has proposed creating a maritime services fund that would be financed through voluntary contributions from shipping and energy companies, rather than mandatory fees. While Muscat has discussed the idea with industry representatives, Iran has so far rejected the proposal because it would not involve direct transit fees. U.S. officials are also said to have concerns, arguing that this arrangement could still be viewed as an indirect fee system that benefits Iran. 🔴 News