US denies agreeing to release Iranian frozen assets

The United States has not agreed to release any frozen Iranian assets, a senior U.S. official told CBS News, pushing back against earlier media reports suggesting otherwise.

The comments came as U.S. Vice President JD Vance is holding a bilateral meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. However, according to the U.S. official, negotiations have not yet begun and no agreements have been reached or even formally discussed.

The American delegation includes Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Pakistan is represented by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

Earlier, Reuters cited a senior Iranian source as saying that Washington had agreed to release Iranian assets frozen in Qatar and other foreign banks, describing the reported move as a sign of “seriousness” in ongoing discussions with the United States.

By Sabina Mammadli