Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Monday that $6 billion of Iran’s frozen assets held in Qatar will be released and returned, describing the move as part of a “great victory” under the interim peace deal with the United States. The claim, carried by state media, was immediately contradicted by US officials who maintain that no Iranian assets have been unfrozen. Qatar, where the funds are reportedly held, has not confirmed any transfer. The discrepancy exposes a fundamental gap in how the two sides interpret the memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June, which was intended to halt four months of hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iranian officials, the $6 billion represents half of $12 billion in frozen resources in Qatar, with follow-up under way for the remainder. Pezeshkian also stated that oil and petrochemical sanctions have been lifted under the accord. Viewed from Washington, however, the Trump administration has insisted that Iran will receive “not ten cents” during the 60-day negotiation period. A senior US official told The Jerusalem Post that “nothing had been cancelled” regarding technical talks, but no confirmation of asset releases has been given. Analysts in London note that the Iranian leadership is under domestic pressure to demonstrate tangible economic benefits from the diplomatic track, while the White House faces midterm elections and seeks to avoid any perception of concessions.

The competing narratives follow a weekend of tit-for-tat strikes that threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire. Iran launched missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, hours after President Trump warned that continued non-compliance could lead to the annihilation of the Islamic Republic. Both sides subsequently agreed to de-escalate, with a US official confirming that “vessels can move freely” and that mediators have established communication channels to manage incidents. Oil prices steadied around $72 a barrel on Monday, though analysts at ING described market complacency as “odd” given the high risks still facing energy transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Pakistan, which has been mediating the talks alongside Qatar, said negotiations are expected to resume on Tuesday. However, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, denied that technical working group meetings were scheduled this week, and stated that talks in Doha were not confirmed. The memorandum stipulates that Washington will make frozen funds available upon implementation of the agreement, but the sequencing and verification mechanisms remain unresolved. With both sides publicly asserting divergent versions of the deal’s terms, the next concrete step hinges on whether technical teams convene in the coming days to bridge the gap between Tehran’s claims of sanctions relief and Washington’s insistence that no assets have moved.