Washington: The United States has denied reports that it has agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets, contradicting earlier claims linked to the ongoing high-stakes peace talks with Iran in Islamabad.
A report by Reuters, citing Iranian sources, had claimed that Washington agreed to release billions of dollars in Iranian funds held in Qatar and other countries as part of efforts to facilitate negotiations. The move was described as a potential breakthrough tied to ensuring safe passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The senior Iranian source welcomed the purported US move as a sign of “seriousness” in reaching a deal with Washington in talks in Islamabad, the Reuters report states.
However, a US official, as reported by HT, has rejected these claims, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding the development and indicating that no such agreement has been confirmed by Washington.
The conflicting narratives come as delegations from both countries gather in Pakistan’s capital for crucial talks aimed at ending weeks of conflict in West Asia. The US team, led by Vice President JD Vance, and the Iranian delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are participating in what are being seen as the most significant negotiations between the two sides in decades.
Iran has made the unfreezing of its overseas assets a key precondition for talks, along with demands for a ceasefire in Lebanon and relief from sanctions. The issue of frozen funds—estimated at around $6 billion from oil revenues—has remained a central sticking point, with Tehran insisting on access to the money even as Washington maintains restrictions.
The Islamabad talks are taking place amid a fragile ceasefire in a six-week-long conflict that has disrupted global energy supplies, particularly due to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Despite diplomatic efforts, mistrust between the two sides remains high, with disagreements over sanctions, regional conflicts, and nuclear policy continuing to cloud prospects for a breakthrough.
