Iran Negotiator Rejects Claim Frozen Funds Can Buy US Goods

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Rejects US Claims Over Frozen Assets

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has disputed the US administration’s assertion that unfrozen assets will be used exclusively to purchase American agricultural exports. In a social media post on Thursday, Ghalibaf stated that the US claim is “falsely” presented and that Tehran’s unfrozen funds would not be solely dedicated to buying American goods.

Ghalibaf also criticized Trump’s remark that initial financial relief under the Pakistan-mediated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would include $500 million in American goods. The Iranian speaker claimed that Washington exports “GMO soybeans, broken promises and trash talk” rather than genuine agricultural products.

US officials have stated that if Iranian assets are unfrozen, they will be used to benefit American farmers and alleviate Iran’s hunger problem. US Vice President JD Vance said the funds would go towards making American farmers richer and feeding the Iranian people.

In contrast, Iranian state media has framed the framework agreement as a strategic victory rather than a concession. Ghalibaf described the memorandum during a diplomatic visit to Baku as a “declaration of US defeat”, arguing that the text does not contain any legal clauses mandating the purchase of US commodities.

The details of the Iran-US MoU are still being negotiated, with tensions over its implementation ongoing. The agreement was brokered by Pakistan and signed on June 18 following electronic signatures from Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Source: Al Jazeera