US denies Iranian claim of agreeing to unfreeze assets amid talks

White House connected Saturday dismissed a study that the United States had agreed to merchandise Iran’s frozen assets held successful overseas banks. The denial comes astatine a clip erstwhile American and Iranian delegations are holding negotiations successful Islamabad to broker a ceasefire.

A Reuters study cited a elder Iranian root claimed that US had agreed to merchandise Iran’s frozen assets held successful Qatar and different overseas banks.The aforesaid root besides said that the projected unfreezing of assets was “directly linked to ensuring harmless transition done Strait of Hormuz.”The funds successful question magnitude to $6 billion. They were archetypal frozen successful 2018 aft the United States reimposed sanctions connected Iran during the presidency of Donald Trump and withdrew from the atomic woody with Tehran.

The wealth came from Iranian lipid income to South Korea and was held successful South Korean banks.In 2023, the funds were moved to slope accounts successful Qatar arsenic portion of a captive swap woody betwixt the 2 countries, mediated by Doha. The statement progressive the merchandise of 5 US citizens detained successful Iran successful speech for the merchandise of 5 Iranians held successful the United States, on with the transportation of the funds.At the time, US officials said the wealth could lone beryllium utilized for humanitarian purposes specified arsenic food, medicine, aesculapian instrumentality and cultivation goods, nether US Treasury oversight.

However, pursuing the October 7, 2023 attacks connected Israel by Hamas, an state of Iran, the medication of president Joe Biden froze the funds again. Officials said past that Iran would not beryllium capable to entree the wealth for the foreseeable aboriginal and that Washington retained the close to afloat artifact the account.