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US denies reports that Washington released frozen Iranian assets and funds

US officials have denied reports claiming Washington unfroze Iranian assets in Qatar and foreign banks ahead of the negotiations in Islamabad

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, walks with Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir; Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd R) and Asim Munir (2nd L) with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (centre L) and Irans Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (centre R) | AFP, AP

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US officials have denied reports that claimed that Washington unfroze Iranian assets in Qatar and foreign banks ahead of the high-stakes meeting between officials in Islamabad.

A senior US official who spoke to CBS News said that earlier reports that cited a senior Iranian source were not accurate.

Negotiations have not been made at all, as meetings with Iranian officials in Pakistan have not begun yet, the official said.

US Vice President JD Vance has only spoken to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after landing in Islamabad.

The American delegation includes Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The Pakistani delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf includes the Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and the Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and the deputy prime minister.

The Iranian source had said that the US move was a sign of seriousness in reaching a deal with Washington in talks being held in Islamabad and that it was one of Iran’s demands in messages.

The source had also said that Tehran received a US agreement to release the assets and that the unfreezing was directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.