Iran official says Trump agreed to release frozen resources

While the United States and Iran show signs that they are close to an agreement, a senior Iranian official said that Washington has agreed to release part of the country's frozen assets, despite the Trump administration having previously denied any such understanding.

"Trump has agreed to the release of part of Iran's frozen assets, but is not willing to announce this publicly," said Mohsen Rezaei, military advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, according to the semi-official Iranian agency Tasnim, this Saturday (13).

Following different press reports about what would be included in the proposed agreement, US Vice President JD Vance criticized on Friday (12) what he classified as "false information about a possible agreement", stating that economic benefits will only be granted to Iran if the country "fulfills its obligations".

"The Iranians are not receiving money, and no resources are being released simply by signing an agreement or attending a meeting," Vance wrote on social media site X.

I'm seeing a lot of fake information about a potential deal to reopen the Strait and end Iran's nuclear weapons program. First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting. The deal is structured to...

- JD Vance (@JDVance) June 12, 2026

"This agreement has the potential to remake the region and lead to lasting peace," Vance said in the post.

Context
According to press reports, Iran has demanded the release of US$12 billion in frozen resources once an interim agreement is signed with the United States, in addition to another US$12 billion at a later stage.

But American officials fear that unlocking resources at this time will eliminate an important tool of pressure on the Iranian regime. Trump has demanded that any deal appear substantially more robust than the 2015 nuclear pact and avoid any steps that could be interpreted as handing over "packets of cash" to Iran.

In a rare interview with CNN this month, Rezaei stated that "if he (Trump) wants to reach a deal with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to establish with Trump - it is a test that the United States needs to overcome, and then the path will be open (...) This is our money, not the United States'."

Survey: 6 in 10 Americans see war with Iran as a mistake

Source: CNN