TEHRAN, Iran: The governor of Tehran’s central bank on Tuesday said Iran might well use the frozen funds released to it under its deal with Washington to buy US farm products.
But Abdolnaser Hemmati, in a video message, denied US President Donald Trump’s declaration that the agreement obliges Iran to spend the money on American exports.
Hemmati said it was true that the initial $12 billion released to Tehran was to be used to buy “essential goods and medicine,” adding that this would free Iran to spend its regular funds on whatever it wants.
Trump said Tuesday that Iran’s money would be “used for the purchase of food and medical supplies, exclusively from the United States, including Corn, Wheat, and Soybeans from our great American Farmers.”
But Hemmati reassured his fellow Iranians: “That is not true. There is no such requirement in the memoranda that were signed during the negotiations. There is no obligation to buy from the United States.
