Iran issues fresh warning to South Korea over blocked funds

Iran has issued a fresh warning to South Korea over billions of dollars of Iranian funds illegally blocked in the Southeast Asian country, signaling that Tehran would not be happy with a partial reimbursement through humanitarian shipments.

According to reports, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday that Iran has had enough of various promises made in South Korea about returning the funds that have been illegally blocked by two banks over the illegal US sanctions.

“We've much heard promises from South Korea. Now, we only wait for tangible, vital action,” said Mousavi in a tweet.

The spokesman further warned Seoul that sending a large shipment of humanitarian goods to Iran paid for by Iranian funds would not please Tehran.

“We hope (South Korea) officials to remember about amount of Iranian nation's financial resources in Seoul,” he said.

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that South Korea plans to allow Iran to use part of its funds, believed to be between $6 billion and $9 billion, to buy medicine and medical equipment from South Korean companies.

However, Mousavi’s Wednesday comments came hours after Persian daily Kayhan published a column scorning the Foreign Ministry for its lack of enough action on the issue of blocked funds.

The article said that the government should have expelled South Korea’s ambassador from Tehran after reports emerged earlier this month suggesting that Seoul had officially criticized Iran for pursuing the case of frozen funds.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry responded to Keyhan by denying the reports published in South Korea about summoning Iran’s ambassador there, saying Tehran would continue to pursue the case of funds without any hesitation.

SS