MP warns Iran ties with South Korea could be at risk over blocked funds

Young journalists club

News ID: 48973
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 18:49 - 27 October 2020
Tuesday, 27 October 2020 _A senior member of the Iranian parliament has warned that South Korea could risk its entire relations with Iran if it refuses to release funds blocked over US sanctions.

MP warns Iran ties with South Korea could be at risk over blocked fundsMohammad Reza Pourebrahimi said on Monday that South Korea should await major diplomatic consequences if it refuses to release funds that Iran needs most at the current “difficult” circumstances.

“If South Korea wants to have continuous relations with Iran, it should not abandon the Iranian nation in difficult days,” said Pourebrahimi who chairs the Iranian parliament’s economic committee.

The comments came amid Iran’s repeated calls on Seoul to release nearly $8.5 billion in Iranian funds that have been frozen in South Korean banks under US pressure.

The funds accrued in accounts in two banks are related to Iran’s sale of oil to South Korea before the United States imposed sanctions on Tehran in November 2018.

Seoul has tried to assuage Iran’s concerns about the funds by proposing to release a small portion of them to finance Iran’s purchases of food and medicine in South Korea.

Iran has rejected the offer while pressing South Korea to have the funds released in full.

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