A representative of the Iranian negotiating delegation claimed that the U.S. is unfreezing $5 billion in frozen assets, reprising Barack Hussein Obama's 2016 transfer of pallets of unmarked, non-sequential, small denomination bills to Iran.
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.
The senior source did not give a value for the assets that Washington had agreed to unfreeze. A second Iranian source said the United States had agreed to release $6 billion of frozen Iranian funds held by Qatar.
U.S. officials have denied this to multiple outlets.
NEWS: The U.S. has NOT agreed to release any Iranian frozen assets, a senior U.S. official told CBS News.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 11, 2026
A Reuters report that cited a senior Iranian source was not accurate.
Meetings with Iran have not started yet, so no agreements have been discussed at all.
Vice President…
Iran's conduct a mere couple of days into the ceasefire and negotiations process shows that we are dealing with a dishonest and monumentally unserious regime that is unable even to come to grips with its own weakness and its own lies, even in the cause of self-preservation.
This started early. Before Vice President JD Vance was even wheels-up, the Iranians were already creating a vivid alt-history of why the talks were taking place. It's their fantasy, the evil OrangeMan was crawling to the negotiating table, and the Iranians had set preconditions that must be met. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is leading the Iranian delegation, said Friday that two measures “mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented” — a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of blocked Iranian assets. “These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.”
Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026
These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.
This effort to impose penalties on the U.S. and Israel while, at the same time, refusing to open the Strait of Hormuz (see US Navy Destroyers Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz Without Incident and Without Permission – RedState) was a foreshadowing of the bone-deep dishonesty on the Iranian side.
Overnight, another list of demands, portrayed by Iran as its "red lines," also made its way into the Middle Eastern press.
BREAKING: Iran has formally submitted its four "red lines" for peace talks with the US today, per Iranian state TV:
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) April 11, 2026
1. Authority over the Strait of Hormuz
2. Payment of war reparations
3. Unfreezing of all blocked Iranian financial assets
4. Securing a comprehensive regional…
BREAKING: Iran has formally submitted its four "red lines" for peace talks with the US today, per Iranian state TV:
1. Authority over the Strait of Hormuz
2. Payment of war reparations
3. Unfreezing of all blocked Iranian financial assets
4. Securing a comprehensive regional ceasefire
In-person negotiations are ongoing as we speak.
For the record, it seems that these demands are very much in line with the previous demands made by Iran which the White House claimed had been changed, see Trump Is Pursuing a Peace Deal With Iran, but Is Such a Thing Possible Given the Differences? – RedState,
These should be non-starters. Iran has no legitimate claim to the Strait of Hormuz because it is an international waterway bounded by other nations. Demanding war reparations is something that only industrial quantities of crystal meth could inspire. The unfreezing of Iranian assets is something to be discussed with a future regime. And allowing Iran to use the guise of seeking a ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel to protect Iranian proxies should be laughed out of the room.
I'm sure everyone in the Trump administration is aware of the existential crisis this war has created for the remainder of President Trump's term. He laid down the marker of "unconditional surrender," see Trump Outlines Iran’s Only Option to End the Relentless Onslaught: ‘Unconditional Surrender’ – RedState. The war has sapped some of President Trump's support from both his base and independents. Unless he walks away with a clear win, and that must include opening the Strait of Hormuz to international traffic, a dicey mid-term could turn into a bloodbath.
Equally important is not letting the Iranians get away with slinging propaganda around. Sending U.S. destroyers through Hormuz was the kind of response we need more of. In a culture where words=actions, we need to demonstrate we are not bending to Iran's will by directly confronting their claims. Because no matter what happens at the negotiations, if the Iranian government can convince its supporters that it won, we will be back doing this again in six months.
For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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