Published on 6/15/2026
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Last update: 16:45 (Mecca time)
Iran has used the file of frozen assets abroad as a basic pressure card at the negotiating table with Washington, as official Iranian reports indicate that there are approximately $100 billion detained in several countries, a large portion of which is oil revenues.
Data show that China tops the list of countries seizing Iranian assets, followed by India, Iraq, America, Japan, European countries, and other Gulf countries, in a scene that reflects the complexity of Tehran’s financial relations with the world.
Iranian sources – according to the report – indicate that there is a step to release in two stages:
- The first is immediately after reaching an agreement.
- The second is within two months, which is the period of negotiation on technical nuclear details.
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump links the release of funds to Tehran’s compliance with what is required of it in the deal.
Farah Al-Zaman Shawqi says, in a report she prepared for Al Jazeera, that the freezing of Iranian funds caused Tehran to be deprived of its oil revenues, which led to the accumulation of its balances abroad and reduced its revenues, so liquidity and foreign currency reserves decreased, the local currency collapsed, and inflation rose.
Tehran insists on collecting the funds because they achieve multiple benefits:
- Cash flow that makes an impact as soon as it is pumped.
- Positive consequences for the street, which went out in protests for livelihood reasons several times.
- Accelerating the restoration of infrastructure in a country that has fought two rounds of war.
Reports indicate that some of the funds may be legally restricted, meaning that Tehran is allowed to purchase basic goods and food in exchange for money and under strict supervision, and not to receive them in cash.
The report points out that releasing the entire $100 billion is not currently possible, as Washington insists on granting gains in exchange for commitments and is talking about a gradual, conditional release with a ceiling that does not reach a quarter of this amount.
In turn, Iran insists on the condition of releasing the funds despite its awareness of the difficulty of achieving it in its optimal form, but it sees it – according to its officials – as a formula to ensure the transparency and credibility of the other party, in light of Qatari mediation trying to bring the views of the two parties closer together.
On Sunday evening, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced that a peace agreement had been reached between the United States and Iran that would end military operations on various fronts, including the Lebanese arena, revealing that the signing ceremony of the agreement would be held in Switzerland on June 19.
Long history
The long history between Tehran and Washington reveals that the issue of freezing and unfreezing began since the hostage-taking crisis at the American embassy during the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and was repeated due to the nuclear and missile programs and Iran’s regional role.
The 2015 agreement between Iran and the international six-party was pivotal, as Tehran regained part of its assets, which did not please Trump, who withdrew from the agreement in his first term and returned to tighten sanctions on Tehran.
In 2023, Washington and Tehran agreed to exchange detainees and release billions of dollars, as South Korea transferred $6 billion to Qatar under the deal, but the amount remained suspended there due to new sanctions.
Tehran’s mutual proposals with Washington – according to the report – show that it is demanding the release of $24 billion out of about $100 billion restricted abroad, a number that includes frozen cash and not confiscated property, according to what was circulated by Iranian websites.
The beginning of the freezing of Iranian assets dates back to 1979, when former US President Jimmy Carter issued Executive Order No. 12170, which ordered the freezing of the Iranian government’s assets in the United States, which were estimated at that time at approximately $12 billion, following Iranian students storming the American embassy in Tehran and taking American diplomats hostage.
