Iran’s president said the money was coming. The US and Qatar said: not so fast.
A US official confirmed that none of the $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds held in Qatari accounts has been released, and none will be until Tehran takes specific, verifiable actions. The statement directly contradicts claims made by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on June 29, who asserted that $6 billion would be released under a preliminary agreement.
Qatar backed up the US position, confirming it has no authority to move those funds without explicit approval from the US Treasury.
How $6 billion ended up frozen in Qatar
The money traces back to Iranian oil revenues that were originally frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions. In September 2023, as part of a prisoner swap deal negotiated under the Biden administration, those funds were transferred from South Korea to accounts in Qatar.
