Overview
- U.S. and Iranian technical teams met in Doha on Wednesday to try to turn a 14‑point interim memorandum into practical rules for the Strait of Hormuz and sanctions relief.
- Negotiators focused on two sticking points that remain unresolved: who will manage Hormuz and whether Iran can levy transit tolls after the toll‑free 60‑day window ends in mid‑August.
- Talks also zeroed in on access to roughly $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds, with disagreement over who controls the money and whether releases must be tied to verification.
- The parties agreed to create a channel to record alleged violations and to keep a limited quiet period, while U.S. envoys met Qatari mediators rather than sitting down directly with Iranian officials.
- Diplomats plan further rounds after near‑term events such as the July 9 funeral for Iran’s late supreme leader and the expiry of the 60‑day window, leaving the ceasefire fragile and outcomes uncertain.