Azernews.Az

Half of Iran's frozen assets could potentially be released during the initial phases of ongoing negotiations with the United States, according to a report by the Mehr News Agency. However, a specific structural proposal put forward by Tehran has been rejected by American interlocutors, AzerNEWS reports.

"Iran proposed that half of these funds be unblocked during the initial stages of the memorandum, with the remaining half released upon the finalization of the agreement," the news agency reported, noting that the American side ultimately declined the offer.

In an effort to break the diplomatic deadlock, Qatar has stepped in with a newly formulated compromise. Under the proposed Qatari framework, Iran would secure access to a total of $12 billion. This package would comprise the unfreezing of $6 billion in existing Iranian assets currently held in Qatari financial institutions, supplemented by an additional $6 billion provided in the form of a loan or a credit line.

The mechanism for managing these funds traces back to a landmark 2023 agreement brokered between Iran and the United States during the administration of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Under the terms of that original accord, the $6 billion held in Qatar is strictly earmarked for humanitarian expenditures. Sources close to the talks confirmed that the spending protocols for these funds will remain tightly bound to the regulatory framework established under that previous agreement.