Shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that a deal with Tehran was "now complete," Iranian and US officials offered differing accounts of the terms under discussion in a draft memorandum of understanding between the two countries, with the proposed release of Iran's frozen assets emerging as a key point of contention.
A senior Iranian official told international news agency Reuters that the final draft covered a range of issues, including Tehran’s nuclear programme, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and US waivers on oil sanctions, and that a final deal would be discussed in the 60 days after both sides agree to the memorandum.
The Iranian account said the draft also dealt with the release of frozen funds, while a senior US official rejected reports that Washington had agreed to release part of the money in advance. The differing versions came as Iranian media and US-based reporters cited separate figures and conditions linked to the proposed deal.
According to the senior Iranian official cited by Reuters, one draft of the memorandum says the United States would release 25 billion dollars of Iran’s frozen assets. The official said this would include direct cash transfers, cooperation among regional countries and financial credit lines.
Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had given a detailed account of the talks with the United States.
According to the report, Araghchi said Iran’s frozen financial assets would be released once a 14-point memorandum of understanding is signed. He also said lifting the US naval blockade was the first item in the document, while Iran's nuclear programme had been moved to a second phase of talks.
At the same time, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, citing a senior US official and other White House sources, dismissed Iranian media reports that Washington would release Iran's frozen assets.
"This is completely not true. This is a pay-for-performance deal and no frozen funds will be released without the Iranians implementing their commitments," Ravid, citing his own sources, posted on X. According to Ravid, Iran would not be able to access the money from its frozen funds unconditionally before a 60-day period of negotiations begins.
Earlier, Mehr had reported that the United States would release 12 billion dollars in frozen assets to Iran before the final stage of negotiations begins. The Iranian news agency also said the United States and its allies would be required to present reconstruction plans worth at least 300 billion dollars for Iran.
