The United States issued a blanket waiver for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions amid an ongoing prisoner swap deal between the Iranians and the Americans.
Under the deal, the US will release five Iranian citizens as well as $6 billion in frozen funds in exchange for the five Americans detained in Iran.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed a blanket waiver issuing for international banks to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of U.S. sanctions.
Washington said Iran can only use the money for humanitarian goods like food and medicine and warned it would monitor and freeze the released funds again if Tehran tried to spend the money in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Responding to the warning, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that the money acquired from Iran’s oil revenues belongs to the Iranian people and the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic can decide what to do with it.
Iran also denied accusations from the United Nations and human rights groups that the Americans were wrongfully detained noting that they were healthy and were treated humanely.
Raisi also urged Kyiv to provide the necessary evidence and documents to prove its allegation that Iran is providing Russia with drones being used in the war in Ukraine. Iran previously insisted it had sold drones to Moscow before the start of the war.
