Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister: Any Agreement with the US Must Include Terms for Releasing Half of Iran's Frozen Assets

According to a report from Odaily (via Iran's Tasnim News Agency), Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, stated that once any Memorandum of Understanding is signed with the United States, at least 50% of Iran's frozen financial assets must be unfrozen immediately. Gharibabadi said that Tehran would only consider any draft agreement as final if "its interests and concerns are fully taken into account." Gharibabadi added: "Iran insists that, at a minimum, 50% of these funds must be made available to Iran immediately after the memorandum is signed." He added that the remaining funds should be "unfrozen within a limited period of one to two months after the agreement is signed." Gharibabadi noted that these assets belong to Iran, were "illegally frozen" by the United States, and their unfreezing is a core requirement of any potential agreement. He stated that the remaining details of the mechanism for accessing the funds, including technical and financial arrangements, will be negotiated during the 60-day implementation period following the signing of the memorandum. (Jin Shi)