Iran insists the United States must honor an agreement to transfer $6 billion in frozen funds through Qatar following a catastrophic assault by Hamas on Israeli communities
A recent agreement between the US and Qatar prevents Doha from granting Tehran access to these funds, which were unblocked as part of a prisoner swap in August
Iran, a supporter of Hamas, has faced intense scrutiny after the Islamist terror group's attack on Israel's southern border, resulting in over 1,300 deaths and the abduction of an estimated 150-200 individuals
Iran denies direct involvement in the Hamas assault but celebrated it as a "success
The White House froze the funds without conclusive evidence of Iran's direct involvement in the attack
In retaliation, Israel targeted Hamas in the blockaded Gaza Strip, leading to over 1,537 casualties, according to Hamas health officials
Ali Karimi Magham, spokesperson of Iran's mission to the United Nations, emphasized that the US cannot renege on the fund transfer agreement, as the money is intended for the Iranian people and their government
These frozen funds were originally intended to facilitate the acquisition of essential resources for Iranians and were transferred from South Korea to Europe and later to Qatar
The fund transfer was part of a larger deal involving the exchange of five prisoners between the United States and Iran
Iran argues that these funds rightfully belong to the Iranian people and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite the ongoing tensions surrounding their release