UNITED STATES PERSPECTIVE

The United States government, on July 3, 2026, saw American and Iranian negotiators leave Doha after two days of indirect talks, focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The two sides did not negotiate face-to-face, instead each meeting separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators. Qatar hailed "positive progress" and announced that the next meeting would take place "as soon as possible" after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled for July 9 in Tehran.

The immediate issue at stake remains the transit fees in the strait. Iran claims the right to collect tolls - a position that the United States rejects. According to Axios, American negotiators argued that Iran has more to gain from a nuclear deal than from maritime tolls. A US official warned that "every time they shoot, we will shoot back - at targets that further degrade their position in the strait".

A one-week ceasefire has been agreed upon to allow discussions to continue "without missiles flying", according to the same source. This temporary lull coincides with the July 4 holiday. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have submitted a joint proposal to the United States, including the collection of joint "administrative fees" in the strait. Sources close to the matter, cited by NBC News, indicate that the United States has reservations but is willing to discuss the issue with Muscat.

Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner led the American negotiations, meeting successively with the Prime Minister and then the Emir of Qatar. President Trump stated that "Iran's denuclearization is going well". However, sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the nuclear issue was not addressed during these technical talks. Vice President JD Vance confirmed the delay: "We are concerned about the nuclear issue, we will start talking about it."

For Axios, the outlook is concerning: two weeks before the launch of the 60-day window for a comprehensive nuclear deal, the parties are still debating the terms of the already signed memorandum. The publication judges that "the collapse of the initial agreement is more likely than a final agreement". An incident illustrates the fragility: a ship ran aground in the strait while taking a route not approved by Iran - Tehran thus maintaining its claims on these waters where a fifth of the world's hydrocarbons normally transit.