Ever since US President Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20, he and his staff have insisted on pushing to renew the Iran nuclear deal. Despite those plans, however, the "hangman from Tehran," Ebrahim Raisi, was elected as president of Iran, assembled an ultra-conservative government in his image, and Tehran continues marching toward a nuclear bomb.
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Additionally, as of Aug. 5 – the date Raisi entered office – Iran hasn't held even one meeting with the US in an attempt to find a middle ground in relation to its nuclear program. Now, however, Tehran is adopting a new approach, shifting from disregard to outright extortion.
On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told state television that US officials tried to discuss restarting nuclear talks last month, but he insisted Washington must first release $10 billion of Tehran's frozen funds as a sign of goodwill.
The United States used intermediaries at the United Nations last month to attempt to make contact, Amir-Abdollahian said.
Iran has been unable to obtain tens of billions of dollars of its assets in foreign banks, mainly from exports of oil and gas, due to US sanctions on its banking and energy sectors.
"The Americans tried to contact us through different channels [at the UN General Assembly] in New York, and I told the mediators if America's intentions are serious then a serious indication was needed ... by releasing at least $10 billion of blocked money," Amir-Abdollahian said.
"They are not willing to free $10 billion belonging to the Iranian nation so that we can say that the Americans once in the past several decades considered the interests of the Iranian nation," Amir-Abdollahian said in the TV interview.
Western powers have urged Iran to return to negotiations and said time is running out as Tehran's nuclear program is advancing well beyond the limits set by the deal.
Amir-Abdollahian reiterated that Iran would "soon" return to the stalled nuclear talks in Vienna, declining to give a date.
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