Iran claims assets have been unfrozen; the U.S. denies this — Reuters
Iran reports that agreements have allegedly been reached with the U.S. regarding the partial unfreezing of assets. According to sources in Tehran, the funds in question are held in Qatar and other foreign banks; however, the U.S. side denies this information.
Reuters reports this based on conversations with anonymous sources.
An anonymous source in Iran reported on Saturday that the United States had allegedly agreed to unfreeze Iranian frozen assets held in banks in Qatar and other foreign banks. This source welcomed this signal and noted that it indicates a chance to reach real agreements following negotiations with the Americans.
According to the Iranian source, the unfreezing of assets was one of Tehran’s demands and that it is “directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz”—which is one of the key topics of the negotiations.
Another source from Iran claims that the U.S. has reportedly agreed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian funds in Qatar.
These funds, received from the sale of Iranian oil to South Korea and frozen back in 2018, were supposed to be unfrozen in 2023 under agreements regarding the exchange of detainees between the U.S. and Iran. However, the Biden administration subsequently froze them again following the Hamas attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, an anonymous U.S. official, speaking to the agency, denied these claims.
As a reminder, Iran has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz.
On April 8, the Israel Defense Forces carried out the largest attack on Lebanese territory since the start of the war. In a short period of time, over a hundred targets linked to the Hezbollah group were struck.
During the two-week ceasefire with the U.S., Iran will demand payment in cryptocurrency for the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Each tanker must submit information about its cargo, after which it will receive the amount of the fee. Violators face destruction.
