US Envoys Warn Iran Against Charging Strait of Hormuz Transit Fees to Preserve Nuclear Deal

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner delivered a clear message to Iranian officials, warning that Iran's demand to impose transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could derail the emerging nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran. According to journalist Barak Ravid, the two American representatives emphasized that the deal would ultimately be far more profitable for Iran than any revenue gained from such fees. A senior US official involved in the negotiations stated, "Our message to Iran was: 'Think big.'" The official explained that if the US lifts all sanctions under the agreement, Iran's earnings from free oil development and sales would be worth a hundred times more than any gains from attempting to extort transit fees through the strait. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil trade, has long been used by Tehran as a bargaining chip against the West. Washington views Iran's demand for transit fees as an extortion attempt that could jeopardize the entire negotiation process.