Qatar denies claims it offered $12 billion to Iran to secure US deal

Qatar has firmly denied reports suggesting it offered $12 billion to Iran in an effort to facilitate a diplomatic agreement, amid ongoing negotiations over frozen Iranian assets and regional de-escalation efforts.

“The reports suggesting Qatar ‘offered’ $12 billion to Iran to secure a deal are simply not true & are being circulated by parties attempting to sabotage the deal & undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts toward regional de-escalation & stability,” Qatari Foreign Minister Majed Al Ansari wrote on X, Caliber.Az reports.

The reports suggesting Qatar “offered” $12 billion to Iran to secure a deal are simply not true & are being circulated by parties attempting to sabotage the deal & undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts toward regional de-escalation & stability.

Qatar’s diplomatic role, in…

— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) May 25, 2026

He added that Qatar’s diplomatic role “in coordination with regional partners, is well established & publicly documented,” describing the claims as attempts to undermine Doha’s credibility as a mediator.

The denial comes as the issue of frozen Iranian assets remains a central sticking point in talks between Iran and the United States, with Tehran insisting on guaranteed access to funds before agreeing to any preliminary framework.

According to Iran International, citing a source familiar with the negotiations, Iran has demanded access to approximately $12 billion in frozen assets during the initial phase of any potential agreement.

The focus is also said to include roughly $6 billion in Iranian funds transferred from South Korea to Qatar in 2023 under a US-Iran prisoner exchange arrangement. Those funds were later re-frozen following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent deterioration in US-Iran relations.

By Sabina Mammadli