An American official denies any agreement on the release of frozen Iranian assets.
A senior U.S. official denied on Saturday reports that Washington had agreed to unfreeze Iranian assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, as sensitive negotiations unfold in Islamabad between the United States and Iran.
### Conflicting Reports on Iranian Assets
According to media sources, an unidentified “senior Iranian official” allegedly claimed that the U.S. had consented to release these funds in exchange for guarantees regarding the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, this information was categorically dismissed by a U.S. official in a statement relayed by the White House, asserting that “this is not true” and clarifying that discussions had not yet genuinely commenced.
### Ongoing Negotiations in Islamabad
These denials come as U.S. and Iranian delegations have arrived in Islamabad for talks aimed at resolving the Middle Eastern conflict in an environment marked by strong distrust between the two parties.
The office of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that he met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, and that peace discussions have officially begun in the Pakistani capital.
### Sensitive Issues at the Heart of Discussions
Among the contentious points are the issue of frozen Iranian assets and several complex regional topics, including the Israeli war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, as expressed by Tehran, which renders the negotiations particularly delicate.
