Iran to access assets frozen in South Korea as of Monday: FM spox

Iran’s frozen funds in South Korea, worth nearly $6 billion, will be fully accessible to the Iranian government as of Monday, says Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani.

Kan’ani made the remark at a weekly press briefing in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday.

He said that the incumbent Iranian administration has defined restoration of the nation’s inalienable rights in various spheres as one of its statutory duties, and has vigorously pursued the release of Iran’s unfrozen assets.

The process of implementing an agreement with the US on the release of Iran’s assets as well as a prisoner swap has progressed at a favorable pace, said the spokesman.

US expects Iran's released assets to move to Qatar 'in coming days': State Department spokesperson

The US says Iran

The exchange of prisoners will be done today as well, he clarified, adding that five Iranian prisoners will be released by the US in exchange for five American prisoners.

Iran-Iraq security agreement

The spokesman also pointed to a security agreement between Tehran and Baghdad on the disarmament and relocation of anti-Iran terror groups based in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, reiterating that the final deadline will expire on September 19 and will not be extended in any way.

The Iraqi government has officially declared that it stands committed to the terms of the agreement and will comply with its obligations, Kan’ani noted, expressing hope that the Iraqi government will fully implement the deal given the emphasis laid in meetings between officials from the two neighboring countries.

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Iran-IAEA cooperation

Commenting on Iran’s recent move to bar multiple inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Kan’ani said Tehran is against politicization of the agency in favor of certain countries.

However, he said the two sides will continue their interactions based on the Safeguards Agreement.

“We do not set any restrictions on cooperation and constructive interactions with the agency. We will continue such cooperation with emphasis on the impartiality of the [UN] body,” the Iranian diplomat said.

EU extension of anti-Iran sanctions ‘devoid of legal value’

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also reacted to a decision by the European Union and European trio (E3) – Britain, France, and Germany – not to lift the arms embargo against Iran, saying the move is devoid of any legal and international weight.

“After October 18, the restrictions stipulated under the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) will be automatically lifted. We do not value the restrictions announced by the European Union. Under international law, Iran can cooperate and interact with any country that is willing to cooperate with it,” he added.

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