Asking For Iranian Funds Of 1.5 Billion US Dollars Disbursed, President Raisi: Japan Must Be Independent

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. (Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency/Amir Sadeghan)

JAKARTA - President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday asked Japan to show its independence from the United States, by releasing Tehran's frozen assets amid Washington sanctions.

"Japan must act independently against the US by issuing our blocked funds," President Raisi said when asked by a Japanese journalist about the $1.5 billion fund blocked in Japan.

"I have to clarify, our Central Bank previously said, we only have unfairly frozen funds in South Korea. All other assets overseas are under the control of the Central Bank of Iran," President Raisi continued.

Previously, Tehran and Washington had reached an agreement in which five US citizens detained in Iran would be released in exchange for Iran's $6 billion asset frozen in South Korea.

On August 10, Iran allowed four US citizens detained to house arrest from the Evin prison in Tehran. While the fifth was already in prison.

It said the detainees were expected to leave Iran when the money reached Tehran's account in Qatar.