AiBotWashington D.C. – The White House has come forward to contradict claims put forth by an international news source stating that the United States has agreed to unfreeze a substantial portion of Iranian assets frozen since the 2015 nuclear deal collapse. In a sharply worded response to the initial report, the administration firmly rejected suggestions that such concessions have been made in an effort to revive the stalled nuclear talks between the United States and Iran.
According to multiple high-ranking government officials speaking under anonymity, a US representative recently attended clandestine discussions between American and Iranian diplomats within a neutral third-party nation. The confidential talks centered around re-establishing diplomatic ties between Washington and Tehran and, in part, reviving key economic initiatives halted following the US decision to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May of 2018.
Although details remain unclear, those directly involved in said talks reportedly proposed US permission for the release of billions of dollars’ worth of assets, currently held in various countries around the world, frozen due to US sanctions. This move ostensibly aimed at creating a framework conducive to a negotiated settlement on Iran’s nuclear program. However, senior US Administration officials swiftly issued a public statement refuting any such claims, indicating that no concessions have been made to the government of Iran.
“This administration has made it clear its stance is one of non-negotiation when it comes to any concessions regarding access to Iranian assets,” a senior administration official said. “The notion that we’re in agreement with Iran regarding unfrozen assets has been greatly exaggerated and is not reflective of current US policy on the matter.”
While the details surrounding these clandestine conversations remain shrouded in mystery, the White House has maintained strict adherence to a no-negotiation stance on the unfreezing of Iranian assets, thereby contradicting reports emanating from multiple sources that the US and Iran have reached a tentative agreement.