US claims Iran can use funds frozen by S Korea for humanitarian purposes
A spokesman for the United States National Security Council has reportedly claimed that Iran can use $7 billion worth of its blocked funds in South Korea to buy humanitarian items.
The spokesman, whose name was not mentioned, told Voice of America on Wednesday that the funds are being held in a “restricted” account that is “accessible for humanitarian trade.”
Washington was open to recommendations by Seoul and others to ensure that the funds could be used, “including through transfers to other trusted banks and in similar restricted accounts,” for humanitarian purposes, he said.
However, he added, there is currently no updated information or a new program in this regard.
The VOA, with an exclusive news release, quoted a spokesperson of the #UnitedStates' National Security Council and announced:
— nournewsen (@nournewsen) April 27, 2023
" #Iran can use seven billion dollars of its blocked money in #SouthKorea to buy humanitarian items."
The remarks coincided with a visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to the US.
Recently, Iran’s Nournews, affiliated with the country’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), reported indirect talks over the unfreezing of the latter’s funds blocked in South Korea allegedly because of American anti-Iran sanctions.
The report said that an initial agreement had been reached to transfer the Iranian money to one or more banks in regional countries.
South Korea was the third largest customer of Iranian crude oil and the number one buyer of Iranian condensate before 2018, when a former administration in the United States pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and imposed sanctions on Iran.
Since then, the country has refused to repatriate the funds it owes Iran for energy imports due to fears of US penalties on its economy.
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