The United States has agreed to release frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, a senior Iranian source said on Saturday, in what Tehran described as a sign of “seriousness” in the ongoing Islamabad talks.
The announcement marks a significant economic concession from Washington as US Vice President JD Vance continues ceasefire negotiations in Islamabad. The frozen funds, estimated at approximately $6 billion, had been a central sticking point in the broader US-Iran diplomatic engagement.
Iran welcomed the reported agreement, with officials framing it as evidence that the two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan is producing tangible results beyond the temporary Hormuz reopening.
The United States has not made any public comments on the issue of unfreezing the assets. Washington has previously faced domestic political criticism over asset releases to Iran, with Congressional Republicans opposing earlier unfreezing arrangements.
For Sri Lanka, any progress in the US-Iran talks directly affects the country’s energy outlook. The partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following the April 8 ceasefire brought an initial oil price decline, but the truce remains fragile. A broader diplomatic breakthrough involving asset releases could stabilise oil markets further and ease the fuel supply pressure that has driven rationing measures across the island.
