Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that $6 billion of the country's frozen assets held in Qatar have been released and returned to Tehran. However, both Washington and Doha deny any transfer has occurred, as tensions in the region remain high and uncertainty surrounds ongoing negotiations.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed Monday that $6 billion of Iran's frozen assets held in Qatar have been released and transferred to Tehran, according to the official IRNA news agency. However, shortly after the claim, sources in Washington and Doha denied that any funds had changed hands, with both capitals insisting no assets have been released. The denial came within hours of Pezeshkian's first statement at 11:04 Jerusalem, when he said the transfer would happen "within hours."
The contradictory statements are the latest in a day-long thread of evolving claims. At 11:04 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported Pezeshkian's initial announcement that $6 billion would be transferred "within hours," citing IRNA. Approximately 1.5 hours later, at 13:01 Jerusalem, Pezeshkian confirmed the transfer was completed. The current denial by the US and Qatar directly contradicts that confirmation, leaving the actual status of the funds unresolved.
The backdrop includes a series of conflicting reports. As The Zioneer reported on Saturday, June 13, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader claimed Trump had agreed to release $24 billion in frozen assets, a claim not independently confirmed. On the same day, Qatar proposed a $12 billion compromise plan, and the UAE reportedly offered $10-20 billion, though Abu Dhabi denied that. On June 15, VP Vance denied any assets had been released, calling reports "false." On June 16, he reiterated that no dollar had been freed. On June 26, Iran's central bank chief said $12 billion would be unlocked under a US deal.
What remains open is whether Pezeshkian's latest claim reflects a real transfer that the US and Qatar are now denying for political reasons, or a negotiating tactic by Tehran. No independent verification of the transfer exists. The fund status — and whether the reported $12 billion total held in Qatar is actually moving — is unconfirmed.
4 developments
- DevelopingKhamenei adviser: Trump agreed to release $24B in frozen Iranian assets but won't say so publicly
- StrongQatar proposes $12 billion compromise to unlock Iranian frozen assets
- StrongIran estimates $60B in frozen assets held across China, Iraq, India, others
- DevelopingAraghchi: Pakistan and Qatar helped release some frozen Iranian assets
Source and signal
- Internal intake