Iran’s top officials land in Qatar for secret nuclear talks as Tehran tightens grip on Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s state broadcaster reported that 32 vessels received permission in the past 24 hours to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

By Gila Isaacson, JFeed

Senior Iranian officials are currently in Doha for talks with Qatar’s prime minister regarding a possible US-Iran deal, Reuters reported, citing an official briefed on the visit.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are leading the delegation.

According to Reuters, the Doha discussions are focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s highly enriched uranium, though Iran has denied that uranium is on the agenda.

Iran’s Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati is also part of the delegation, traveling to Qatar to discuss the possible release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final agreement between the two countries.

Iran’s state media confirmed his participation, and the Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, verified the delegation’s visit.

In a parallel development, Iran’s state broadcaster reported that 32 vessels received permission in the past 24 hours to pass through the Strait of Hormuz after contacting the Revolutionary Guards Navy and other maritime authorities in the area.

Five supertankers also crossed the strategic waterway with special authorization from the Revolutionary Guards Navy.

The assessment is that the vessels received passage approval after paying fees to Iranian authorities, with Iran apparently working to establish this payment model as a new facts-on-the-ground reality in the strait.