The negotiations between Iran and the United States have reached a deadlock, with Tehran demanding access to billions of dollars in frozen assets before any breakthrough.
In an exclusive interview with CNN in Tehran, Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said that "the negotiations are at a deadlock" and that "the ball is in Trump's court."
“This is the first time Iran has emerged victorious in wars, while in previous wars Iran has always been defeated,” he added.
At the centre of the dispute is Iran's demand for the release of $24 billion in frozen funds. Rezaei said Tehran wants $12 billion released after the initial agreement is signed, followed by another $12 billion at a later stage.
He described the demand as a confidence-building measure and said Iran views the money as its own funds rather than a concession from the US.
“If he [Donald Trump] 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 opened,” he said. “This is our own money, not America's money.”
The dispute over frozen assets has emerged as one of the biggest hurdles in efforts to move negotiations forward.
Rezaei said releasing the money would act as a “test of trust” and could open the way for further engagement between the two sides.
Rezaei also warned of consequences if diplomatic efforts fail and military confrontation resumes. He added that Iran will “drag the war” beyond the Persian Gulf if the US resumes the conflict. Rezaei added the military operations will potentially expand from the Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
“We will give another dimension to the war by attacking these other American bases that we have been attacking so far,” he was quoted as saying. His remarks come amid continued uncertainty over the Middle East crisis, with both sides facing pressure over security concerns and sanctions.
During the interview, Rezaei dismissed the possibility of a direct meeting between Trump and Iran's supreme leader under the current circumstances. “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.
Earlier this week, Trump said that he and Khamenei “seem to be getting along well”.
“Yeah, I would like to meet him. I would love to meet everybody. I would like to meet him, and we probably will meet at some point, depending on how it all works out,” he said.
