New Delhi, June 7 -- The Trump administration is seeking to steer Iranian assets toward helping US allies in the Persian Gulf rebuild from damage inflicted by Tehran, and to repair any future destruction.

The effort, which was described by a senior administration official who wasn't authorized to speak publicly, is unfolding alongside fitful talks between Washington and Tehran on a potential agreement to extend a truce in the Iran war. Negotiations appear to have bogged down over Tehran's insistence on the release of some $24 billion in frozen Iranian financial assets.

The Trump administration's approach would put some of the assets on a different path. The Treasury Department will use all tools available to allow Iranian assets to be u...