Iran Is The Legal Owner Of Frozen Assets

Iran Is The Legal Owner Of Frozen Assets

Contrary to what some are suggesting -- returning frozen assets to Iran would neither constitute a gift, nor a new payment.

Under U.S. sanctions law, freezing/blocking an asset does not automatically transfer its ownership or cancel the underlying payment obligations. The blocked entity foregoes the rights to use, transfer or withdraw, but not ownership.

U.S.-sanctioned assets are a mixture of deposits, gold, US Treasury debt instruments.
Under the law governing these sanctions Iran remains the legal owner of those assets, while requiring authorization to exercise the usual ownership powers.