Tracking Iran's $100 Billion in Frozen Assets by the US

Iran’s assets, frozen for years in various countries, have reportedly become one of the challenges in smoothing negotiations between the United States (US) and Iran. Iran demands that the US release these assets as a condition for negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, which took place recently.

Quoted from Al Jazeera on Wednesday (15/4/2026), Iran’s economy has suffered for years due to sanctions imposed by the US and its allies. This policy dates back to the 1979 hostage crisis and has been tightened because of Tehran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missiles. These sanctions have cut off Iran’s access to vital revenues, including oil sales proceeds now held in foreign banks.

Before the ceasefire negotiations began in Pakistan on 10 April, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasised via platform X that these assets must be released immediately before negotiations start. Although rumours circulated that Washington had agreed to release some funds, the US government quickly denied it and stated that the assets remain frozen.

How large are the frozen assets?

Although the exact figure is difficult to verify, official Iranian reports and several experts estimate that the total assets frozen abroad exceed $100 billion US.

Frederic Schneider from the Middle East Council on Global Affairs stated that this amount is equivalent to four times Iran’s annual revenue from the hydrocarbon sector. “This is a very significant amount for a society that has suffered under sanctions for decades,” he told Al Jazeera.

As a confidence-building measure, Tehran demands the initial release of at least $6 billion US in this round of ceasefire talks.