Iran says US agreed to unfreeze Iranian funds, Washington denies it

DUBAI, Apr 11: A senior Iranian source said on Saturday the US had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, but a US official swiftly denied the assertion.

The senior Iranian source welcomed the purported US move as a sign of "seriousness" in reaching a deal with Washington in talks in Islamabad. The source said it was one of Iran's demands "in messages conveyed to the US side" and that Tehran had received a US agreement to release the assets.

The source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that unfreezing the assets was "directly linked to ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz", which is expected to be a key issue in the talks.    �"REUTERS