POLITICS

Iran’s president says $6B in frozen assets in Qatar to be released as US talks challenged

Jun 29, 2026, 1:21 AM | Updated: 6:22 pm

A woman walks past a welcoming billboard featuring Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian along a road...

A woman walks past a welcoming billboard featuring Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian along a roadside in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Credit: AP Photo/Anjum Naveed

(AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released by Qatar as negotiations with the United States were challenged by attacks across the Persian Gulf this weekend.

Pezeshkian is the highest-ranking official within Iran to reference the release of the funds held by Qatar, a key mediator in the negotiations with Pakistan. So far, U.S. officials say no frozen Iranian assets have been released.

“Based on the plans made, $6 billion out of the total $12 billion of Iranian resources in Qatar will be released and returned to the country, and necessary follow-ups are being carried out,” Pezeshkian was cited by the state-run IRNA news agency as saying. The remarks appeared aimed at selling the Iranian public on the interim deal.

Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday following new U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic Republic, and threatened a “complete halt” in negotiations to end the war if Washington continues its attacks.

Politics

Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks at the OpenAI DevDay 2026 conference, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in San...

Associated Press

FTC is investigating OpenAI and Anthropic over possible risks to consumers

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into Anthropic and other artificial intelligence companies over dangers their technology may pose to consumers, the agency said Wednesday. The AI giants and other tech companies in recent months have disclosed examples of their AI agents going beyond human instructions, finding their way onto the internet […]

4 minutes ago

Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Wednes...

Associated Press

Justice Department files complaint against judges over immigration enforcement surge comments

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice immigration enforcement surge. The complaint escalates the department’s battle with the federal judiciary, which has halted administration priorities, dismissed high-profile prosecutions and accused government lawyers in some cases of failing to comply with court orders. The department is demanding that the judges recuse themselves from all criminal or […]

1 hour ago

Associated Press

Britain cites indications that Iran played a part in a security incident at a US-run air base

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham says the U.K. has “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident that saw five men arrested near a U.S.-run air base in England late at night. Burnham told British broadcasters on Wednesday that British and American officials are carrying out a “complex and serious” […]

3 hours ago

FILE - Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, center, with her husband Bryon Noem, right, seated ...

Associated Press

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem files for divorce from her husband of 34 years

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has filed for divorce from her husband of 34 years. Noem, who was tasked with leading President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown from January 2025 to March 2026 and previously served as South Dakota’s governor, is seeking a divorce from Bryon Noem in […]

4 hours ago

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa as Turkey's President Re...

Associated Press

US removes Syria from arms export ban as Trump administration draws closer to new Syrian government

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is removing Syria from a list of countries that are not allowed to purchase or import U.S. weaponry, a step that is part of a monthslong process of easing sanctions on the new government in Damascus and its leaders. In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the […]

4 hours ago

Big Bend National Park, Texas, is seen, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Santana)Credit: AP Photo/...

Associated Press

Trump administration considers scaling back border project in Texas’ Big Bend National Park

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is considering reducing the scope of a planned border project through Big Bend National Park in Texas, a contentious undertaking that has drawn bipartisan opposition over concerns it will irrevocably mar the remote, majestic area. The announcement on plans for the national park, made in two court filings late […]

4 hours ago

Iran’s president says $6B in frozen assets in Qatar to be released as US talks challenged