Iran says ‘first time it has won war’, calls $24 billion frozen funds a ‘test of trust’ for Trump - Moneycontrol.com
A senior Iranian official claimed Iran had “emerged victorious” in its conflict with the US and said the release of $24 billion in frozen assets
A senior Iranian official claimed Iran had “emerged victorious” in its conflict with the US and said the release of $24 billion in frozen assets would be a crucial “test of trust” for President Donald Trump. Iran claims victory in conflict, calls frozen $24 billion funds a ‘test of trust’ for Trump A senior Iranian official has said Iran has “emerged victorious” in its recent conflict and framed ongoing negotiations with the United States as a “test of trust” for President Donald Trump, as ceasefire talks remain stalled over key issues including frozen assets, uranium stockpiles and the Strait of Hormuz. “This is the first time Iran has emerged victorious in wars, while in previous wars Iran has always been defeated," Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, told CNN.
According to Iranian officials, discussions between Tehran and Washington remain deadlocked, with both sides yet to reach agreement on the release of frozen Iranian assets worth $24 billion in two phases. Rezaei said the issue of blocked funds would determine progress in the talks. “If Trump takes the negotiations seriously, $24 billion is not much to America. If he wants to reach an agreement with Iran, this $24 billion is a test of trust that Iran wants to have with Trump. This is a test that America must pass, and the path will be open. This is our money, not America’s money", he said. He added that failure to reach a deal could escalate tensions further, warning that Iran would respond to any renewed US action.
“We will give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases that we have been attacking so far," he told CNN. Although Rezaei said the “possibility of war was low”, he cautioned that Iran was prepared for escalation if negotiations collapse. “Then the world will understand Iran’s true capabilities, because our land power is many times greater than our missiles," he said. On the diplomatic front, Rezaei dismissed speculation of a direct meeting between US President Donald Trump and Iran’s leadership. “This will not happen, right now we are in the first stage of negotiations and Trump has brought the negotiations to a standstill.
This will not happen," he said, according to CNN. He also reiterated that Iran expects the US to demonstrate commitment to any potential agreement, while questioning Washington’s reliability following its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. Negotiations remain stalled as both sides continue to disagree over sanctions relief, frozen assets, and strategic maritime issues, including the Strait of Hormuz.
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