Iran to have blocked funds released: Government spokesman

Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Monday that the government would soon announce some good news about unblocking the highly-needed funds.

“There has been some positive progress in unblocking our moneys,” said Rabiei, adding, “There would be some good news in this regard which will be publicized after the finalization (of unblocking).”

The announcement comes more than a week after the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati said that Iran was making progress in securing new sources of funds for the national fight against the new coronavirus.

‘Iran progressing amid search for new funds to fight coronavirus’More than 32,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Iran.

Hemmati said that coordinated efforts by the CBI and the Iranian Foreign Ministry for unblocking the funds abroad as well as for persuading the International Monetary fund (IMF) to accept Iran’s request for an emergency loan had come into fruition.

Rabiei said that Iran’s success to access new hard currency sources was a blow to the United States and its “unethical” policy of refusing to ease the sanctions even at a time of increased pressure on Iran because of a pandemic.

He also dismissed reports in some media outlets suggesting that the IMF had rejected Iran’s request for a $5-billion emergency loan under pressure from the US.

“We have yet to hear anything about rejecting the request for this loan, there has been some statements but whether the fund (IMF) has made a decision or paid any attention (to those statements), we haven’t heard anything,” said the spokesman.