Iran Accuses US of "Robbery"

Rasa - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif lashed out at Washington for seizing and freezing the country's assets in the US, calling it a flagrant instance of "international robbery".

News ID: 429320

Date: 29 April 2017 - 22:03

RNA - "The US seizing of $2bln of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI)'s assets and freezing of over $1.5bln of its resources is certainly considered as a case of international robbery," Zarif said, addressing a forum in Tehran on Saturday

The US Supreme Court supported the allegations of Congress and President Barack Obama that Iran "was financially responsible for the 1983 bombing that killed 241 Marines at their barracks in the Lebanese capital, Beirut". Iran had denied any involvement in any of the bombings. Families of the Marines and victims of other attacks that courts have linked to Iran are allowed under the court's law to seize some $2bln in assets held in New York’s Citibank belonging to the Central Bank of Iran.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, called the action "blatant robbery".

Also, almost $1.973 bln of Iran's assets are frozen in the United States. According to the Congressional Research Service, in addition to the money locked up in foreign bank accounts, Iran's frozen assets include real estate and other property.

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