Qatar’s MOFA Spokesperson Clarifies Status of Frozen Iranian Funds in Doha

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar has confirmed that the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in Doha has not yet taken place, despite recent statements from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian suggesting otherwise.

During his weekly briefing, ministry spokesperson Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari clarified that Qatar does not own the funds, which were moved into Qatari accounts in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange agreement between Washington and Tehran. He explained that the money remains subject to U.S. restrictions, with access limited under American oversight and designated for humanitarian purposes only.

Al Ansari elaborated: “First of course regarding the USD six billion which are frozen Iranian funds, these date back to an agreement announced in 2023 between the United States and Iran to establish a humanitarian channel here in Qatar. The original purpose of these funds is to be used within the framework of purchases for humanitarian purposes, according to the government that was in place at the time. Qatar does not own these funds; it is only acting as the financial intermediary to manage these accounts within the framework of this agreement between the parties.”

He further noted that the issue of frozen funds is part of the broader U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), but any transfer depends on mutual agreement and progress in negotiations. “The matter of transferring the funds or not is done according to mutual agreement between both parties and according to the progress of the negotiations, which has not happened so far,” Al Ansari said.

The clarification comes amid heightened speculation following Pezeshkian’s announcement in Qom that the funds would be returned to Tehran. Qatar’s statement underscores its role as a neutral financial intermediary, managing the accounts but not controlling the decision to release the assets.

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