Deal on unblocking funds part of Iran’s dignified diplomacy, serves as ‘test’ for US: Amir-Abdollahian
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the recent deal with the United States regarding the unblocking of Iran’s illegally frozen funds serves as a test for Washington.
Amir-Abdollahian said in a post on the X social media on Wednesday that the Iran-US deal releasing $6 billion worth of Iran's funds illegally blocked in South Korea under the pretext of US sanctions was part of the “dignified diplomacy” instructed by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei.
“Release & transfer of our funds from South Korea are parts of our dignified diplomacy as instructed by the Leader,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
“This deal is another test for US. On the right track of diplomacy, we keep up efforts to remove sanctions & for the return of all sides to int’l commitments to Iran,” he added.
Release & transfer of our funds from South Korea are parts of our dignified diplomacy as instructed by the Leader. This deal is another test for US. On the right track of diplomacy, we keep up efforts to remove sanctions & for the return of all sides to int’l commitments to Iran.
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) August 16, 2023
In a statement on Thursday, the Iranian foreign ministry said, “The process of releasing billions of dollars from the assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which were illegally seized in South Korea by the United States for several years, has begun.”
“Iran has received the necessary assurances regarding America's commitment to its obligations in this matter,” it added.
The statement also pointed to the issues of Iranian prisoners held in US jails and said that the ministry has, in addition to unfreezing of the funds, been pursuing the release of the Iranian prisoners as a “fundamental duty.”
Despite having no diplomatic relations with the US, Iranian officials have said in the past that they will be open to prisoner exchange talks with the US out of respect for humanitarian issues.
Iran was granted limited sanctions relief in 2015 upon conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement between the Islamic Republic and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- plus Germany.
The US, however, left the agreement in 2018 as part of former president Donald Trump's so-called "maximum pressure" policy against Iran, returning all the sanctions that the deal had lifted. The US's allies in the deal -- France, Britain, and Germany -- then bowed under Washington's pressure by toeing the sanction line and suspending their trade activities with Tehran.
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