One of the key issues unresolved in the negotiations on the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran is the possible unfreezing of about 6 billion Iranian dollars located in Qatar after the exchange of prisoners in 2023, The New York Post wrote.
The American official cited by the newspaper said that these funds can be unblocked step by step and directed to the purchase of food and medicine. At the same time, according to him, their use will depend on the fulfillment of a number of conditions by Iran, including the opening and demining of the Strait of Hormuz.
It is not clear whether these terms reflect the official US position or are elements of the draft agreement under discussion.
The funds were originally unfrozen in 2023 by the Joe Biden administration as part of the US-Iran prisoner swap deal and transferred from South Korea to Qatari accounts. However, after the attack of the Hamas group against Israel in October 2023 and the beginning of the war in Gaza, access to these funds was frozen.
According to the sources, the negotiations remain unfinished. US President Donald Trump announced that he is holding the last discussion in the Situation Room of the White House.
A representative of the administration later said that the meeting ended without a final decision, and that the agreement is close to completion, but requires further coordination, including on the issue of Iranian funds.
