Doha: Qatar has strongly denied reports that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets has been transferred to Tehran. The Qatari government has clarified that the money is still safe in Qatari banks and is subject to US sanctions.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said in a statement that the money in question is actually revenue from Iran’s frozen oil exports to South Korea, which was transferred from South Korea to Qatar under a prisoner exchange agreement between the US and Iran in 2023.
He said that under this agreement, the two countries exchanged five prisoners each, but despite the release of US citizens, this money has not yet been handed over to Iran.
The spokesman stressed that Iranian funds are certainly present in Qatari financial institutions, but their transfer or use is subject to US sanctions and supervision. Therefore, Iran does not have direct access to these funds.
Majid Al-Ansari also dismissed reports that the money had been transferred to Tehran after the Iranian president’s announcement. According to him, no such transfer has taken place so far.
He added that although these assets are owned by Iran, Qatar does not own these funds. Qatar is only hosting these funds, while all matters related to their use, payment or transfer are determined in accordance with US laws and sanctions.
According to analysts, this position of Qatar explains the speculations spreading on this issue and indicates that any decision regarding Iranian assets will still be possible only under international agreements and US sanctions.
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