Iran Presses US for Asset Release, Regional De-Escalation

Tehran-Iran said on Monday that it had called for an end to the ongoing regional conflict and the release of frozen Iranian assets abroad in its response to the latest proposal from the United States, according to Tehran’s foreign ministry.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s response focused on what it described as Iran’s “legitimate rights” rather than demands for concessions from Washington.

“We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” Baqaei told reporters during a weekly press briefing in Tehran.
According to Baqaei, Iran’s position included calls for “an end to the war in the region,” the lifting of what he described as a U.S. naval blockade and the release of Iranian assets frozen in foreign financial institutions for several years.

Iran has long sought access to billions of dollars in overseas funds restricted under U.S. sanctions, which were intensified after Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement during President Donald Trump’s first administration.

The latest comments come amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, where regional conflicts involving Israel, Iran-aligned groups and U.S. forces have increased diplomatic pressure on Washington and Tehran to prevent wider escalation.

Iranian officials have repeatedly linked broader regional stability to the easing of sanctions and the normalization of economic access, while U.S. officials have maintained pressure over Tehran’s nuclear activities and support for armed groups in the region.

Baqaei did not provide further details about the contents of the U.S. proposal or indicate whether negotiations between the two sides were ongoing.

The remarks come as indirect diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington continue against the backdrop of military tensions stretching from Gaza and Lebanon to the Red Sea and Gulf waters.