The US made concessions. This is supposed to be the price for unblocking the Strait of Hormuz
According to unofficial reports, the US had initially agreed to unlock frozen Iranian assets stored in Qatar and other foreign banks.
According to Reuters, Iran he treated this concession as a “sign of a serious approach” to reaching an agreement with Washington during the talks in Islamabad.
See also: Peace talks begin in Pakistan. Donald Trump is applying pressure
The source, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that the unfreezing of measures is “directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz”which is expected to be a key issue in the negotiations.
The high-ranking representative did not provide the value of the assets whose unfreezing would be accepted by the United States. The agency's second Iranian source said it was about $6 billion. frozen Iranian funds in Qatar.
See also: Trump talks about talks with Iran. This is supposed to be a key element
The US refuses to comment
The United States does not comment on the case. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The six billion dollars, originally frozen in 2018, were to be released in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange between the US and Iran. However, these funds were frozen again by President Joe Biden's administration after the attacks on October 7, 2023 against Israel, carried out by Iran's ally – the Palestinian armed group Hamas,” we read.
Donald Trump is applying pressure
US President Donald Trump tried to put additional pressure on Iran even before the talks began.
On Friday, he posted on social media in which he stated that Iran's only advantage was “short-term blackmail of the world through the use of international waterways” – referring to the practical blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
In the evening of the same day, Trump told reporters that he expected the strait to open “pretty soon”, warning at the same time that if this does not happen, a return to military operations is possible.
See also: Trump talks about talks with Iran. This is supposed to be a key element
While a ceasefire remains broadly in place in the Middle East, difficult transit of tankers and other vessels through the strait — as well as ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon — threaten to complicate talks in Islamabad.
