The Final Hurdle in the U.S.-Iran Ceasefire MOU Is the Release of Frozen Assets

[Financial News] An Iranian media outlet reported that the final hurdle to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a ceasefire between the United States and Iran is expected to be the release of Iran's frozen assets.
Tasnim News Agency reported on the 24th, local time, citing a source close to the negotiations, that "Iran stressed that there will be no agreement unless a certain amount of frozen funds is released in the first stage of the deal and a clear mechanism is established to ensure the stable release of the remaining frozen funds." It added that "the disagreement over the release of frozen assets is one of the main obstacles preventing the current agreement from being finalized."
The outlet also said this position had been conveyed to Pakistan, the mediator, as well as to some Middle Eastern countries that have been active in mediation. It said Iran was demanding the release of frozen assets that the United States could implement quickly and with limited political burden, in order to improve the chances of carrying out the MOU and build at least a minimum level of trust.
Meanwhile, Iranian government spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on the 23rd, regarding the ceasefire proposal talks, that "once the MOU is finalized, negotiations on it will take place in the next stage," adding that "the issue of releasing Iran's frozen assets is being raised in this context, and it must be decided first."



kim091@fnnews.com Kim Young-kwon Reporter