Qatar rejects reports it 'offered' Iran $12B for US deal

Qatar denied on Monday that it "offered" Iran $12 billion to finalize an agreement that would end the stalled US-Israeli war, a conflict that sent shockwaves through the region and beyond.

"Reports claiming that the State of Qatar 'offered' $12 billion to Iran to ensure the conclusion of an agreement are utterly baseless and are being circulated by parties seeking to derail the agreement and undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and promoting stability in the region," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said on US social media platform X.

"Qatar’s diplomatic role, in coordination with regional partners, is well established & publicly documented, & such narratives are nothing more than desperate attempts to tarnish Qatar’s reputation as a trusted international peace facilitator," he added.

The statement comes as several high-profile Iranian officials visit Qatar amid a flurry of diplomatic pushes to finalize the agreement.

Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati traveled to Qatar on Monday, according to Iranian media. The visit follows a trip by a Qatari delegation to Tehran last week to discuss Iran’s frozen assets, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said, citing unspecified sources.

Iran has been seeking the release of its frozen assets held abroad, including those in Qatar, as part of the Pakistan-mediated negotiations with the US. Reports have pegged the total dollar amount of the funds frozen in Qatar at around $12 billion.

Regional tensions boiled over Feb. 28 when the US and Israel launched surprise attacks on Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with barrages of drones and missiles that hit targets across the region as Tehran shuttered the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports through the strategic waterway. Last week he said the deal has been "largely negotiated" and awaits finalization.