TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Friday rejected claims by U.S. media that the United States and Qatar have agreed to prevent Iran from accessing its assets worth around 6 billion U.S. dollars in Qatari banks.
"The reports are far from reality," the official IRNA news agency quoted a statement from Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations as saying.
Both the U.S. government and senators are "fully aware that they cannot go back on the agreement," the Iranian mission said, stressing that the money being released belongs to the people of Iran and will be used by the Iranian government to meet the essential needs of the people that are not subject to sanctions.
Reports carried by the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post claimed that Qatar would deny Iran's access to its assets, which were moved to Qatari banks following a prisoner exchange deal between Iran and the United States in September.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting people familiar with the matter, reported the decision "comes amid concern for Tehran's support for (the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement) Hamas."
On Sept. 18, Iran and the United States swapped 10 prisoners, with each side freeing five individuals, as part of an agreement brokered by Qatar. Alongside the prisoner exchange, Iranian funds worth around 6 billion dollars, previously frozen in South Korean banks by Washington, were also released and transferred to six Iranian accounts in two Qatari banks.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli towns adjacent to the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, prompting Israel to launch retaliatory strikes on Gaza.
Iran's permanent mission to the UN clarified on Monday the country was not involved in Hamas' military operation against Israel while noted that Iran "unflinchingly stands in solidarity with the Palestinian nation."
On Friday, large-scale rallies were held across Iran as thousands of Iranians took to the streets to show their support for Palestine. ■
