This move from Iran has been characterized as "serious" with the aim of reaching an agreement with Washington in the negotiations in Islamabad.

According to reports published by Reuters, the unfreezing of funds is allegedly directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the key geostrategic issues in the talks between Tehran and Washington.

Another Iranian source claims it involves about six billion dollars of Iranian funds held in Qatar, which were previously blocked under U.S. sanctions. Official confirmation from the U.S. is still pending.

These funds originate from the sale of Iranian oil to South Korea and were blocked after the reimposition of U.S. sanctions in 2018.

Under earlier agreements, the funds were supposed to be returned in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Iran, but the administration of President Joe Biden refroze the funds.

U.S. officials then emphasized that Iran would not have access to these funds in the foreseeable future, while retaining the possibility of their complete freezing.

As part of an earlier prisoner exchange agreement in September 2023, mediated in Doha, the funds were transferred to accounts in Qatar, with strict usage restrictions.

It is worth noting that U.S. and Iranian delegations are currently in Islamabad, where peace negotiations are taking place. This is the first meeting between Iranian and American sides since the start of the war. Both sides have set conditions before the start of the talks. Iranian officials have clearly stated that negotiations with the United States cannot begin until key conditions are met, primarily a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian funds.

The U.S. has expressed concerns about nuclear weapons and the fate of transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has previously reiterated that it will not relinquish control of this important transit route.

The U.S. delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance and includes special envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.