Iranian President Insists US$6 Billion in Assets Frozen in Qatar Must Be Released

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran’s assets worth US$6 billion, equivalent to Rp 107.4 trillion, frozen in Qatar should be released and returned to the country, based on an agreement reached with the United States.

Pezeshkian, as reported by Al Arabiya and Middle East Monitor on Tuesday (30/6/2026), became the highest-ranking Iranian official to address the release of the assets held by Qatar, which serves as the main mediator in negotiations between Tehran and Washington. To date, US officials have said that no Iranian assets have been released.

“Based on the established plan, Iran’s assets of US$6 billion, out of a total of US$12 billion held in Qatar, should be released and returned to this country,” Pezeshkian said in a statement, as quoted by the IRNA news agency. He added that “necessary follow-up measures are being taken” for the return of the remaining funds.

Pezeshkian also referred to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Iran and the US as a “great victory for the Iranian people”. He added that sanctions related to oil and petrochemicals “have been lifted in accordance with the memorandum of understanding”.

Pezeshkian’s statement came as continued negotiations between the two countries face challenges following mutual attacks over the weekend, stemming from a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran launched missile and drone strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait, which host US military assets, on Sunday (28/7) local time. Tehran claimed its attacks were in retaliation for Washington’s latest strikes on several targets in southern Iran.

Meanwhile, the US accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by attacking a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington claimed its forces launched strikes in response to “unprovoked aggression by Iranian forces against commercial shipping”.

Conflict mediators have established communication channels to de-escalate tensions arising from any incidents, with technical talks between Iran and the US set to continue. Two weeks ago, Iran and the US signed an MoU to end the war, which includes provisions for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for global energy supplies.