Iran has rejected a US proposal to abandon plans to charge transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the partial release of approximately $100 billion in Iranian assets frozen abroad.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources familiar with the matter, Tehran turned down the offer.

The report said US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Doha, Qatar, this week for talks with Qatari mediators.

The discussions focused on implementing last month’s agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. Sources said the parties also discussed the latest developments in Lebanon.

Following the negotiations in Qatar, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz was under “Iran’s command,” not that of the United States.

After his remarks, Iranian military officials warned that any vessel using routes not coordinated with Tehran would face an “immediate and forceful” response.

According to information obtained by the WSJ, Tehran intends to charge all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the fees are needed to cover the costs of maintaining maritime security.

Iran estimates the mechanism could generate around $40 billion in annual revenue, while the US and Gulf states oppose the proposal.

Seeking an alternative, Oman proposed creating a special fund financed through voluntary contributions from shipping and oil companies.

The fund would have been used to finance security operations in the southern section of the strait. However, according to the newspaper, Iran rejected the initiative because it did not provide for direct payments to Tehran.

In mid-June, the US and Iran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding following months of conflict.

The agreement provides for a ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, the launch of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, the gradual easing of sanctions, and the release of some of Iran’s frozen overseas assets.

Following the agreement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US military, acting on Trump’s instructions, had lifted its blockade of all maritime routes leading to Iranian ports and coastal areas.

Iran also reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping but required foreign vessels to provide at least 48 hours’ advance notice before transiting the waterway.

At the end of June, The New York Times, citing an Iranian official, reported that Iran and Oman were developing plans to charge fees for vessels passing through the strait. The US president subsequently said transit through the waterway should remain free.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has denied claims that Beirut is planning to dismiss Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Rodolphe Haykal after a senior Hezbollah official alleged that changes to the military leadership were imminent.

In a statement, the presidency said reports claiming the army commander or other senior security officials would be removed were false, stressing that the country’s security institutions play a fundamental role in maintaining security and upholding state sovereignty.

Aoun also defended the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement reached last month following several rounds of direct talks conducted in violation of Lebanese law.

Referring to the framework agreement negotiated in Washington, Aoun said its provisions reflected the logic of statehood. He added that Lebanon is a sovereign state capable of negotiating on its own behalf and had chosen diplomacy as the best available option after the failure of war.

Nabih Berri, speaker of Lebanon’s parliament and leader of Hezbollah ally the Amal Movement, also addressed reports that Haykal could be dismissed during an interview published on June 29.

Speaking to Al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri said such an idea should not even be raised as a joke and warned against “playing games” with the army.

He added that the military institution represented a red line, describing it as one of the pillars of national stability and the foremost guarantee of domestic peace. Berri also criticized the agreement reached between Beirut and Tel Aviv in Washington.

According to a statement from the Lebanese Armed Forces, Haykal met the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Monday to discuss the Beirut-Tel Aviv framework agreement. During the meeting, Haykal thanked the United States for its support and said continued military cooperation was vital to preserving Lebanon’s security and stability.

Senior Hezbollah official Nawaf al-Moussawi had earlier accused President Aoun of attempting to force the army commander from office.

In remarks on June 28, Moussawi said: “The person trying to ignite a civil war in Lebanon is President Joseph Aoun. Aoun is pressuring Haykal to resign, but the commander has refused.” He also said: “I assure our people that the framework agreement signed in Washington between Lebanon and Israel has no value. Therefore, there is no reason for concern.”

Haykal is reported to have refused throughout the past year to advance plans to disarm Hezbollah while Lebanon remained under occupation and attack. He has also reportedly threatened to resign in 2025 over the issue.

Weeks before the latest war began in early March, Haykal visited Washington, where he reportedly drew criticism from US officials after refusing during a meeting to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

Moussawi’s allegations come amid nationwide criticism of the agreement signed with Israel last month. The US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel requires Hezbollah to disarm before Israeli forces withdraw. It also prevents Lebanon from pursuing international legal complaints against Israel over a conflict that, since March this year, has resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 Lebanese citizens and displaced more than one million people.

The framework agreement has been criticized not only by Hezbollah supporters but also by broader segments of Lebanese society, who view its provisions as an attempt to legitimize Israel’s presence on Lebanese territory.

According to reports in Lebanese media this week, Berri is working to build a broad-based, cross-sectarian political front to oppose the new Lebanon-Israel agreement.

Both Berri and Hezbollah have publicly declared that they will not allow the agreement to take effect. Meanwhile, many in Lebanon fear the country could slide into renewed internal conflict if authorities respond to US calls to pit the Lebanese army against Hezbollah.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia, two Gulf countries that do not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel, have purchased hundreds of millions of dollars in advanced Israeli-made defense technology for their military air forces, according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, citing documents and photographs. The investigation revealed that aircraft belonging to the Qatari royal family are protected by Israeli-manufactured missile defense systems.

According to the report, Israel has sold highly sophisticated military hardware to both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, including advanced missile defense mechanisms designed to protect the Qatari royal family, alongside critical components for modern fighter jets. Israel’s leading defense contractors, Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), have reportedly supplied missile defense systems and specialized military helmets for advanced F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in transactions valued at hundreds of millions of shekels.

The defense trade has been conducted in strict secrecy, despite the fact that both Gulf monarchies declined to join the Abraham Accords—which normalized diplomatic relations between Tel Aviv and several Arab nations—and continue to maintain no formal diplomatic representation with Israel.

Israeli technology on the Qatari Emir’s aircraft

According to specific details disclosed by Haaretz, when the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, paid an official visit to Iran last year, his private jet was protected by an air defense system developed by Israel-based Elbit Systems. Photographs captured during the Emir’s landing in Algeria in March 2024 also showed the Elbit-manufactured defense system mounted beneath the aircraft’s fuselage.

The Qatari royal fleet comprises a total of 11 aircraft, including two Boeing 747s and one Airbus A340-500. The report states that all of these aircraft have been equipped with Elbit’s commercial C-MUSIC system, known in Israel as “Magen Rakia” (Sky Shield).

The C-MUSIC system is designed to immediately detect the launch of heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles targeting the aircraft. Upon detection, it emits a specialized infrared beam that disrupts the missile’s tracking capabilities and prevents it from locking on. The system is particularly effective at protecting aircraft against shoulder-fired missiles, also known as man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS).

The precise financial value of the air defense contract with Qatar has not been officially disclosed. However, based on comparable past contracts signed with European nations and NATO, the total cost of the shipment is estimated to exceed $200 million.

Israeli-made parts in F-15 fighter jets

The report further noted that Elbit and other Israeli defense firms have not only provided protection for the royal family’s fleet but have also manufactured critical components for the F-15 fighter jets purchased by Qatar from the US.

Contracts signed between the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) and aerospace manufacturer Boeing indicate that Israeli companies were awarded subcontracts valued between $150 million and $250 million to supply advanced parts and subsystems for the Qatari F-15 fleet. The entities receiving these subcontracting bids include Elbit’s US subsidiary, Elbit America, Cyclone, and Collins Elbit Vision Systems, which is a joint venture with global defense giant RTX.

Foremost among the equipment supplied by Israeli arms manufacturers to the Doha administration is the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), an advanced helmet that projects vital flight and targeting data directly onto the pilot’s visor. Elbit has also reportedly supplied AN/AVS-9 night vision goggles for Qatari F-15 pilots.

Other Israel-based companies supplying equipment under Qatar’s F-15 modernization program include Israel Aerospace Industries, TAT Technologies, and Beth-El Industries.

Similar systems delivered to Saudi Arabia

US State Department documents and military archive photographs indicate that a similar shipment of equipment was delivered to Saudi Arabia.

According to the documents, the Riyadh administration received 462 advanced JHMCS combat helmets and an equal number of AN/AVS-9 night vision goggles manufactured by Israeli companies for integration into the F-15 fighter jets operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force.