TEHRAN: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday urged Japan to display its independence from the United States by releasing Tehran’s frozen assets amid US sanctions – and then said the only frozen Iranian funds were being held in South Korea.
In a press interaction on Tuesday, President Raisi urged Japan to take autonomous action by releasing approximately $1.5 billion of Iranian funds that were reported to be blocked in the country due to US sanctions. “Japan should act independently from the US by releasing our blocked funds,” Raisi remarked in response to a query from a Japanese journalist.
However, his stance seemed to shift shortly thereafter. Raisi introduced an element of ambiguity by stating, “I must clarify that our Central Bank earlier said we only had unjustly frozen funds in South Korea. All other assets abroad are at the disposal of Iran’s Central Bank.”
Agreement Between Iran and US
The situation has gained attention due to a recent agreement reached between Tehran and Washington. This accord stipulates the release of five US citizens held in Iran in exchange for the unfreezing of $6 billion of Iranian assets that have been locked in South Korea.
In a notable development on August 10, Iran permitted four detained U.S. citizens to transition from incarceration in Tehran’s Evin prison to house arrest. A fifth individual was already serving their confinement within their residence. The expected departure of these detainees from Iran is contingent upon the transfer of the negotiated funds to accounts in Qatar.
