'Negotiations At Deadlock': Iran Seeks Release Of $24 Billion Assets, Rules Out Trump-Khamenei Meet

A senior Iranian official has said negotiations with the United States to end the conflict in the Middle East have reached a “deadlock”, placing the onus on President Donald Trump to revive the peace process.

Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said a potential agreement now hinges on Washington’s willingness to release $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, describing the move as a critical test of trust between the two countries.

“The negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock. The ball is in Trump’s court,” Rezaei told CNN in an interview.

“If he (Trump) wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump. This is a test that America

must pass and the path will be opened. This is our own money, not America’s money,” he added.

Iran has reportedly demanded the release of $12 billion in frozen funds as soon as once an interim agreement is signed with the US, and another $12 billion at a later stage.

US officials, however, have reportedly expressed concerns that unfreezing the assets at this stage would weaken a key source of leverage in negotiations.

Iran Warns Of Wider Conflict If War Resumes

Rezaei also warned that Iran would broaden the scope of military operations if the United States resumes hostilities. He said any renewed conflict could extend beyond the Strait of Hormuz to strategic waterways including the Indian Ocean, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

“We will give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases that we have been attacking so far,” he said, while adding that he believed “the possibility of war is low.”

The official further claimed that Iran was prepared for any potential military escalation.

“If the United States invades Iran, then the world will understand Iran’s true capabilities, because our land power is many times greater than our missiles,” he said.

Iran Rules Out Trump-Khamenei Meeting

Afterrecent comments by Trump indicating he would be willing to meet Iran‘s supreme leader, Rezaei dismissed the possibility of such an encounter in the near future.

“This will not happen. Right now we are in the first stage of negotiations and Mr Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill. This will not happen,” he said.

Trump had earlier said he would be “honoured” to meet Khamenei if a broader agreement could be reached.

Fresh Tensions Despite Ceasefire

The remarks come amid renewed tensions despite a fragile ceasefire announced in April that largely halted hostilities between Iran, the United States and Israel.

Iran’s military on Friday claimed it had fired “warning missiles” at two US destroyers in the Gulf of Oman, forcing them to leave the area. The US military rejected the allegation, saying no such incident had occurred and warning that any attack would represent a serious breach of the ceasefire.

The dispute over frozen Iranian assets has emerged as one of the biggest obstacles to a broader agreement, with Tehran insisting that the release of the funds is necessary before negotiations can move forward.