Trump says he will not unfreeze Iranian assets before a ceasefire deal

Speaking at a White House press briefing, Trump repeated the formula of 'ceasefire first, then financial moves' in response to demands for the release of roughly 7 billion dollars of Iran's frozen assets. The US Treasury's OFAC said the bulk of the funds are held in bank accounts in South Korea, Japan and Luxembourg. Tehran is asking for the funds to be 'restored to their pre-war status'.

A spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry stressed the importance of building mutual trust for a lasting deal and said the release of funds could be tied to 'concrete reciprocal steps' on the military side. The European Union's high representative tabled a proposal supporting a phased approach; Qatar, Oman and Switzerland remain at the mediation table. EU diplomats argued that the financial settlement could be phased in under UN Security Council oversight.

Brent rose briefly by 0.8 percent following Trump's remarks, while the rial showed limited weakening in the spot market. Analysts say the financial dimension is a soft heart of the ceasefire negotiations and that indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran could intensify in the coming days. This is not investment advice.