A White House official has denied reports that the United States agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets held abroad, contradicting claims from Iranian sources. The denial came after a report said Washington had approved the release of funds held in Qatar and other foreign banks.

An unnamed senior Iranian source had said that the United States agreed to release the assets as a sign of seriousness in ongoing talks in Islamabad. The source linked the potential unfreezing of funds to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key issue in discussions. Another Iranian source said the amount involved was 6 billion dollars.

The funds, originally frozen in 2018 after sanctions were reimposed on Iran, were transferred to Qatari accounts in 2023 as part of a prisoner swap agreement. However, they were frozen again following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas. United States officials have maintained that the money remains restricted for humanitarian purposes and that Washington retains the authority to keep the funds frozen.