Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei urged the Emir of Qatar to release Iranian oil revenues that had been frozen in Doha regardless of any U.S. pressure.
Qatar is “a friendly and brotherly country, although there are still ambiguous and unresolved issues,” Khamenei said in a meeting on Wednesday with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is visiting Tehran, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Khamenei pointed out that Qatar has yet to fulfill previous agreements concerning the return of $6 billion held in Doha - funds that were originally frozen in South Korean banks. After Washington imposed a full ban on Iran’s oil exports and sanctions on its banking sector in 2019, these Iranian oil revenues were blocked in Seoul and subsequently transferred to Qatar.
“We recognize that the primary obstacle to implementing the agreement is the United States,” Khamenei stated, adding that if he were in the position of Qatar's rulers, he would ignore U.S. pressure and fulfill the agreement. "We continue to expect such action from Qatar," he concluded.
Sheikh Tamim mentioned that they covered various areas of cooperation, especially in trade and the economy. "We also emphasized the importance of following up on the outcomes of the recent meeting of the Joint Economic Commission and increasing trade exchange in a way that will help us achieve our goals," he said at the press conference, highlighting "the necessity of creating new opportunities for cooperation" between Iran and Qatar.
The question of Iranian access to the funds has been in the spotlight since Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel on 7th October, 2023. Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Iran had not yet been able to spend a single dollar of the funds that were unfrozen in a U.S.-Iran prisoner swap in September of 2023. Five U.S. citizens detained by Tehran were allowed to leave the country in exchange for the transfer of $6 billion in Iranian funds that had been frozen in South Korea. At the same time, five Iranians held in the United States were allowed to leave.
Under the terms of the Iran prisoner deal, the money can only be used for humanitarian-related purposes, including purchasing food, medicine, medical devices, and agricultural products for the people of Iran from the abroad.
The agreement was reached through diplomatic efforts and secret talks, with Qatar playing a central role in the negotiations.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they attacked two U.S. vessels and eight oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, calling the st...
Iran says it has delivered on its promise of a “faster, heavier and more painful” response to Washington, striking U.S. bases, warships...
Climate leaders in Baku are calling for a shift from climate commitments to concrete action as day three of Baku Climate Action Week focuses on imp...
Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Indonesia has reopened Jakarta's main airport and four others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced widespread flight cancellations, though fresh eruptions have kept authorities on alert.
Iran says it has delivered on its promise of a “faster, heavier and more painful” response to Washington, striking U.S. bases, warships and commercial vessels early on Wednesday.
Central Asian foreign ministers have marked 20 years since a landmark nuclear-free treaty, reaffirming their commitment to regional security, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
Saudi Arabia’s international leisure tourism industry is forecast to grow by 93 per cent between 2025 and 2030, as the kingdom expands beyond religious travel. The figures were presented during WTM Spotlight Riyadh, where industry leaders discussed the growing tourism market.
The Houthi movement has fired missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabian cities and energy facilities, opening another potentially dangerous front in a wider regional conflict involving Iran and the United States.
Tehran’s standoff with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has entered a new height after Iran’s mission in Vienna slammed a joint U.S.-E3 draft resolution.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment