Iranian Frozen Assets to Return via Qatar: Pezeshkian

Iran's president said the recent ceasefire agreement is a great victory for the Iranian people, confirming that oil and petrochemical sanctions have been removed and that US$6 billion in frozen funds will be returned via Qatar.

President Masoud Pezeshkian announced Monday that US$6 billion of Iran's frozen assets will be released and returned through Qatar, and confirmed that oil and petrochemical sanctions have been lifted under the peace deal, which he called a "great victory" for the Iranian people.

Speaking during a visit to Qom, where he met Grand Ayatollah Shobeiri Zanjani, Pezeshkian said the US$6 billion is part of a total of US$12 billion in Iranian funds held in Qatar, with follow-up underway for the return of the remaining portion. The release of the funds and the sanctions relief were part of the framework agreed at the Switzerland talks and the Islamabad MoU.

Pezeshkian praised the Iranian people's steadfastness during the war, noting that despite the assassination of the Leader, ministers, commanders, elites and even schoolchildren, the nation, Armed Forces and government stood together to protect the country. He said the U.S. and Israel deployed all their capacities to destabilise Iran, believing economic pressure would cause collapse, but the people's resilience and divine support thwarted those calculations.

He reiterated that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, a position he said was clearly stated by the martyred Leader and remains in force. "We give this assurance to the international community that activities will be proportionate to the country's needs and within the framework of our declared policies," he said.

The president said the U.S. ultimately compelled Israel to accept the agreement, though he added that Israel and some opposition groups remain opposed to its implementation. He said the government has begun reconstruction planning and introduced support measures, including increased credit for food subsidies. - Mehr