The United States is set to release $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets before the start of a new round of negotiations with Tehran, according to a report by Iran’s Mehr news agency.
Mehr said the move is contained in a 14-point memorandum of understanding reportedly agreed between the two countries, although the document has not been officially confirmed by either Washington or Tehran.
According to the text published by the agency, a total of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released during a 60-day negotiation period following the conclusion of the memorandum.
“The release of 24 billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets during the 60-day negotiation period” is among the provisions outlined in the document, Mehr reported.
The memorandum further states that half of the funds — amounting to $12 billion — must be made available to Iran before formal negotiations begin.
“Half of this amount must be made available to Iran before the start of the negotiations,” the document reportedly says.
If confirmed, the reported agreement would mark a significant confidence-building measure between the two countries ahead of talks expected to focus on long-standing disputes over sanctions, regional security and Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, neither the US nor Iranian authorities have publicly verified the authenticity of the memorandum, leaving uncertainty over the reported terms and timeline for the asset release.
