A senior Iranian military official has announced that any prospective peace agreement with the US hinges on the White House authorizing the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian financial assets. The statement places the responsibility for breaking the current diplomatic gridlock directly on US President Donald Trump.
The terms were outlined by Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, during an interview with CNN in Tehran on Friday, June 5.
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A phased financial ultimatum
Rezaei confirmed that Iran’s strategic leadership has structured the financial demand into a two-tiered release mechanism linked to the progression of diplomatic talks. Under this framework, Tehran requires the immediate unfreezing of $12 billion as soon as an interim peace agreement is signed by both nations. The remaining $12 billion would then be released during a subsequent phase of the process.
The Iranian leadership has framed the multibillion-dollar demand as a prerequisite for any further diplomatic normalization between the two countries.
“The negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock,” Rezaei stated during the broadcast. “The ball is in Trump’s court. If he wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump – this is a test that America must pass and the path will be opened.”
US officials have expressed concern regarding the proposal, noting that unfreezing substantial financial reserves at this stage of negotiations would eliminate a primary point of diplomatic leverage over the Iranian government. Furthermore, when questioned about a potential direct meeting between Trump and Supreme Leader Khamenei to resolve the dispute, Rezaei rejected the possibility, stating that such a summit will not occur while negotiations remain at a standstill.
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