Iran to hold talks with Qatar on frozen assets, foreign ministry says

Iran will hold talks with mediator Qatar on Wednesday regarding its frozen assets, the Iranian foreign ministry said. The ministry denied that any meeting with the United States was planned in the Gulf state, where delegations from both sides were expected.

What will Iran and Qatar discuss in Doha?

Iranian and Qatari officials will discuss the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the United States. A central focus will be the release of Iran's restricted financial assets, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said. He confirmed the talks would likely take place on Wednesday in Doha.

Baqaei made the remarks at a weekly press conference. He said discussions would be held specifically with the Qatari side, not with U.S. representatives directly.

Why are Iran's assets frozen?

Iran has faced asset freezes and broad sanctions from the United States and other Western countries since its 1979 Islamic revolution. That revolution toppled the U.S.-backed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The sanctions have remained a major point of friction between Tehran and Washington for decades.

How much frozen Iranian money is at stake?

There is no official figure for the total amount of frozen Iranian assets. Media reports have estimated the sum at between $100 billion and $123 billion. The release of these funds has become a central condition in Iran's negotiations with the United States.

What is Iran demanding from the U.S.?

Iran is making any agreement with the United States conditional on the release of a portion of these frozen assets. Tehran says this is necessary to bring a lasting end to the recent Middle East conflict. The memorandum of understanding already signed includes a U.S. commitment to eventually end all sanctions against Iran.

Under the same agreement, the United States has also committed to making Iran's frozen or restricted funds fully available for use. Both commitments remain central to the ongoing negotiations between the two countries.