Iran says it has no obligation to buy US produce
Iran's central bank governor has pushed back against President Donald Trump's claim that released Iranian funds will be used to purchase American agricultural products, saying Tehran is under no obligation to do so.
Speaking to the Tasnim news agency, Central Bank of Iran Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said the agreement between Iran and the United States allows the first $6bn of released funds to be used for the purchase of "basic goods and medicine".
"We have no obligation to buy agricultural products from the US," Hemmati said, adding that Iran would consider American goods only if their price and quality were more competitive than alternatives from other countries.
He also said the remaining $6bn would not necessarily be limited to basic goods and could be used to purchase other non-sanctioned products, giving Tehran flexibility in how the funds are spent.
Iran’s former finance minister Abdolnaser Hemmati walks to the podium during impeachment proceedings in parliament in Tehran, 2 March 2025 (Atta Kenare/AFP)