US: US returns $24 billion to Iran
US returns $24 billion to Iran
The United States is set to release billions of dollars in Iranian funds in four installments under a new deal between Washington and Tehran.
A Pakistani source familiar with the talks and another source who spoke to Israeli media outlet Haaretz confirmed the big news.
The total amount to be released is around $24 billion, but the entire issue of releasing this money depends on how much Iran complies with US demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz and how much progress is made in the nuclear talks.
The sources said that the main condition of this agreement is to ensure the free passage of commercial ships of all countries through this important international waterway without any fees or duties.
At the same time, the matter has also been linked to the final understanding of the upcoming nuclear talks and this money can be shown as specific targeted economic aid.
Meanwhile, in a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump has claimed that the news of his administration's plan to create a huge fund of $300 billion for Iran is completely 'fake'.
US Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with NBC, "Under this agreement, international inspectors will once again have access to monitor Iran's nuclear program."
However, in another comment to CNN, Vance called the memorandum of understanding "a very simple document."
Meanwhile, according to a report by the media outlet Axios, CIA Director John Ratcliffe expressed serious doubts in an internal briefing with Trump and other senior officials based on US intelligence.
According to him, there is considerable doubt whether Iran will meet the US conditions at all, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have also expressed concerns about this.
A senior White House official said that the US and Iran have already completed the digital signature of the memorandum of understanding and the formal signing of the agreement is scheduled for the end of this week in Geneva.
US Vice President JD Vance, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will be present.
According to Pakistani sources, the agreement has a separate section on Lebanon, which means that Israel is getting an unwritten green light to continue its military operations in Lebanon.
A senior US official said, “The lines of communication with Tehran have now been widened and commercial activities in the Strait of Hormuz are expected to fully return to normal within the next two weeks.”
