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.
Real Madrid have parted ways with coach Xabi Alonso, appointing former defender Álvaro Arbeloa as his replacement....
The UK government will introduce a new criminal offence this week targeting the creation of non-consensual intimate images, Technology Secretary Liz K...
The United Nations’ top court has begun hearings on whether Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority....
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, a senior White House official...
Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison, fined one million lari, and had $6.5 million and severa...
Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has condemned what he described as another attempt by external forces to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs during a phone call with Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
The European Parliament has announced a ban on Iranian diplomats following the government’s response to nationwide protests in Iran. President Roberta Metsola confirmed the measure in a post on X on Monday, 12 January.
In late 2025, Iran appeared to recalibrate its approach to Armenia, shifting from a security-centred posture toward a more conventional diplomatic engagement, as regional dynamics in the South Caucasus evolved.
Iranian authorities have taken steps to disrupt access to Starlink satellite internet, according to users and digital-rights groups, in what appears to be the latest effort to tighten control over people’s access to the internet inside the country.
Timothée Chalamet won the Golden Globe for best male actor in a musical or comedy on Sunday for his role in Marty Supreme, beating strong competition in one of the night’s most closely watched categories.
Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano is showing increased activity, with lava flowing from two summit craters and flames, smoke and ash rising from the caldera.
Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family has said.
Israel has sharply escalated its warnings to Lebanon amid rising regional tensions linked to Iran, according to a report by the Lebanese newspaper Nida Al Watan.
Despite facing challenges in chip manufacturing, Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) researchers are optimistic about narrowing the technological gap with the United States, driven by an increasing culture of risk-taking and innovation.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison, fined one million lari, and had $6.5 million and several vehicles confiscated.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the country’s decision to join the Abraham Accords.
Uzbekistan plans to significantly expand the use of electric vehicles (EVs), targeting a 10% share of all passenger cars by 2030.
In late 2025, Iran appeared to recalibrate its approach to Armenia, shifting from a security-centred posture toward a more conventional diplomatic engagement, as regional dynamics in the South Caucasus evolved.
Israel has sharply escalated its warnings to Lebanon amid rising regional tensions linked to Iran, according to a report by the Lebanese newspaper Nida Al Watan.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment