Tehran – The United States and the United Arab Emirates have begun steps to release billions of dollars in Iranian assets as part of a broader framework linked to a peace deal between Tehran and Washington, according to media reports.
The first tranche of approximately $3 billion in Iranian foreign-exchange assets has already arrived in Tehran from the UAE, while Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that a 14-point memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States envisages the release of up to $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets during a 60-day negotiation period.
According to the report, half of that amount, or roughly $12 billion, would be made available to Iran before formal negotiations begin. The document has not been independently verified or officially confirmed by either side.
The reported financial arrangements come days after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington and Tehran had reached a peace agreement aimed at ending months of conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping route whose operations were severely disrupted during the war.
Iranian and regional media reported that a private Emirati aircraft carrying approximately $3 billion in Iranian funds landed at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport in recent days, marking the first phase of a broader asset-release mechanism.
Flight-tracking data cited in the reports showed that a Boeing 737-7JZ BBJ, registered A6-RJF and operated as a private Emirati aircraft, flew directly from Abu Dhabi to Tehran last Monday.
The UAE is reportedly facilitating the gradual release of between $10 billion and $20 billion in Iranian assets under a financial arrangement designed to support regional economic stability and assist implementation of the wider diplomatic understanding.
Neither Emirati authorities nor US officials have publicly confirmed the transfer.
Mehr reported that the memorandum calls for the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets during a 60-day negotiation process that would begin after the agreement is signed.
However, Axios quoted a senior U.S. official as disputing claims that funds would be released before Iran fulfils its commitments under the deal.
“This is a pay-for-performance deal,” the official said, adding that no frozen funds would be released without Iranian compliance.
The differing accounts underscore lingering uncertainty over the timing and conditions of sanctions relief and asset releases, despite signs of a diplomatic breakthrough between the long-time adversaries.
Officials from Iran, the United States and the United Arab Emirates have yet to publish the full text of the reported memorandum or provide detailed implementation timelines.
Analysts say the release of frozen assets will be among the earliest and most closely watched indicators of whether the emerging agreement can translate into lasting de-escalation and economic normalisation across the region.
This article has been automatically published using a syndicated feed. The content is sourced externally and may not have been reviewed by The Freelancers Team.
