DUBAI: A senior Iranian source said on Saturday that the United States had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, but a U.S. official quickly denied the claim. The Iranian source described the move as a sign of “seriousness” in ongoing talks in Islamabad, adding that unfreezing the assets was among Tehran’s key demands conveyed to Washington.
According to the source, the issue is directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a central topic in the negotiations.While no official figure was confirmed, a second Iranian source stated that the U.S. had agreed to release $6 billion in Iranian funds held in Qatar.
The funds were originally frozen in 2018 after U.S. sanctions were reimposed on Iran. They were later set for release in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap agreement, but were re-frozen following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas.
The assets stem from Iranian oil sales to South Korea and were initially held in South Korean banks before being transferred to Qatari accounts under the 2023 prisoner exchange deal.
At the time, U.S. officials stated that the funds would be strictly limited to humanitarian purposes, including food, medicine, medical equipment, and agricultural goods, under U.S. Treasury oversight.
