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.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Iran and the United States are set to hold a new round of indirect nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday, as both sides continue to search for a resolution to their decades-long standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extended Moscow’s support for the ongoing indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, offering to mediate or assist in any way that would be beneficial to Tehran and acceptable to Washington.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has signaled that a nuclear agreement with the United States remains within reach, provided Washington adopts a realistic and constructive approach ahead of the second round of negotiations with the Trump administration.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Moscow.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to visit Algeria on April 20-21 for high-level strategic talks, according to diplomatic sources.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter, set to last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to visit Algeria on April 20-21 for high-level strategic talks, according to diplomatic sources.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Iran and the United States are set to hold a new round of indirect nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday, as both sides continue to search for a resolution to their decades-long standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the border area between Afghanistan and Tajikistan on Saturday, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 92 kilometers (57 miles).
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 19th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to visit Algeria on April 20-21 for high-level strategic talks, according to diplomatic sources.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter, set to last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
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