U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks to the press before U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol participate in the Camp David Trilateral Summit, Aug. 18. AFP-Yonhap



Iranian assets currently frozen in Korean banks will not go to Iran, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday, dismissing concerns that the money could be used to advance the Middle Eastern country's illegal weapons program.



The U.S. said earlier that it was in negotiations with Tehran to transfer the frozen funds from Korean banks to a special account in Qatar in exchange for the release of five U.S. citizens currently detained in Iran.



"First of all, we are not sending $6 billion to Iran," Sullivan said when asked about the Iranian assets in Korea in a virtual press briefing.



"We are transferring funds from one restricted account outside of Iran to another restricted account outside of Iran to operate under supervision to ensure that those funds are spent non-sanctionable transactions," he added.





