WEB DESK: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday announced that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets will be released and repatriated through Qatar, describing the move as a major diplomatic achievement under a broader peace framework reached through international negotiations.

Speaking during a visit to the city of Qom, where he met senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Shobeiri Zanjani, Pezeshkian said the funds are part of a total $12 billion in Iranian assets held in Qatar, with efforts continuing to secure the release of the remaining balance.

According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, the president described the development as a “great victory” for the Iranian people and said it reflected the success of sustained diplomatic engagement.

Pezeshkian said the release of the frozen assets, along with the easing of sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors, was agreed under the framework of negotiations held in Switzerland and a memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad.

He said the measures were aimed at reducing economic pressure on Iran and represented the outcome of continued diplomatic efforts.

The Iranian president maintained that US sanctions had been intended to place maximum pressure on Iran’s economy but claimed the country had overcome those challenges through national unity and internal resilience.

Reaffirming Tehran’s longstanding position on its nuclear programme, Pezeshkian said Iran does not seek nuclear weapons and that its nuclear activities remain exclusively for peaceful purposes.

He also claimed that the United States ultimately persuaded Israel to accept the agreement, while acknowledging that Israel and some opposition groups continue to oppose its implementation.

Pezeshkian added that the government has initiated reconstruction planning and introduced economic support measures, including increased funding for food subsidies, as part of broader efforts to stabilise the country’s economy following the agreement.