Iranian politician Mohsen Rezaei said any agreement between the U.S. and Iran is conditional on the release of $24 billion [1] in frozen assets.
The demand places a specific financial prerequisite on diplomatic breakthroughs. If the U.S. does not meet these terms, Tehran suggests the risk of renewed conflict remains high.
Rezaei said the release of these funds is necessary for Iran to sign a peace deal or move forward with agreements related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) [4]. The Iranian official said the return of the capital is a primary requirement for stabilizing relations between Tehran and Washington [2].
The proposed financial framework involves a two-stage release of the funds. According to reports, Iran expects $12 billion [2] to be released immediately following an interim agreement [3]. The remaining $12 billion [2] would be released at a later stage of the diplomatic process [3].
These negotiations center on the unlocking of billions in frozen assets that the U.S. has held [2]. Iranian officials said the recovery of these funds is essential for the country's economic stability, and as a gesture of good faith from the U.S. government [5].
Rezaei said the release of the assets is a prerequisite to avoid further escalation. The move is intended to ensure that any deal is backed by tangible economic recovery for Iran [4].
Washington has weighed the possibility of unlocking some of these frozen funds as part of broader diplomatic efforts [2]. However, the specific timeline and conditions for the release of the full $24 billion [1] remain a point of contention in the ongoing negotiations.
“Any agreement between the U.S. and Iran is conditional on the release of $24 billion in frozen assets.”
This demand signals that Iran is prioritizing immediate liquidity and the recovery of sovereign assets over general diplomatic platitudes. By splitting the $24 billion into two tranches, Tehran is attempting to create a phased verification process where the U.S. must prove its commitment through an interim payment before a final deal is reached. This financial deadlock remains one of the most significant hurdles to reviving the JCPOA or establishing a lasting peace framework.
