Iran negotiator denies US claim on use of unfrozen assets
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a Pakistan-mediated framework does not require Iran to buy US farm goods, rejecting Trump’s account.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Iran’s parliament speaker and lead negotiator in talks with Washington has rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used only to buy American farm products. The dispute centers on how initial financial relief under a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding would be carried out, according to Al Jazeera and Anadolu.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote Thursday on X that the United States was falsely presenting the arrangement as a channel for Iran to purchase US agriculture, Al Jazeera and Anadolu reported. In the same post, he accused Washington of offering “broken promises” and hostile rhetoric, according to the report.
Trump has said the first stage of financial relief under the memorandum would include $500 million in American goods, according to Al Jazeera. He said no cash would go directly to Tehran and that the funds would instead be directed toward US corn and wheat purchases to address what he called Iran’s “hunger problem.”
US Vice President JD Vance also described the arrangement as a benefit for American agriculture, saying that any unfrozen Iranian assets would make US farmers richer while feeding Iranians, according to Al Jazeera and Anadolu.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking Thursday in Manama with Bahraini leaders, said Washington wanted an agreement that would not undercut the security or prosperity of the United States or its regional allies, according to the report.
Iran challenges US account
Iranian state and semi-official outlets have pushed back against the Trump administration’s description of the deal, presenting the framework as a diplomatic win for Tehran rather than a concession, Al Jazeera and Anadolu reported.
The semi-official Mehr News Agency reported that Ghalibaf, during a diplomatic visit to Baku, called the memorandum a “declaration of US defeat.” Mehr also reported that Ghalibaf said the text does not include legal language requiring Iran to buy American commodities.
Iran’s central bank governor said Monday that money released under the developing agreement with the United States would not necessarily be limited to essential goods, according to Al Jazeera and Anadolu.
The competing accounts come as Iran and the United States continue working through implementation details for the memorandum, according to the report. The agreement was brokered by Pakistan and began on June 18 after electronic signatures from Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Al Jazeera and Anadolu reported.
Ghalibaf’s remarks add to public friction over a deal whose terms are still being contested by officials on both sides. Washington has framed the relief as tightly controlled and tied to US goods, while Iranian officials and media have disputed that characterization.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.