Iran is negotiating with the US to unfreeze tens of billions of dollars in assets abroad, which could help revive its crisis-hit economy.
The blocked assets, mostly from recent oil sales to China, India, South Korea, and Japan, have been frozen since President Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord in 2018.
Tehran estimates its frozen assets are worth at least $100 billion, with an initial $24 billion to be unblocked in phases.
Releasing some of the cash would help Iran's leaders increase the value of the country's currency and lower inflation, said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, chief executive of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation.
China holds an estimated $20 billion to $50 billion of Iran's frozen assets, while the US has blocked financial institutions from the dollar system to enforce sanctions.
Iran has been able to tap some of these funds to purchase Chinese machinery and auto spare parts, but US restrictions have prevented Iraq from paying for electricity and natural gas supplies.
Current negotiations focus on granting Iran access to frozen assets held in Japan, Luxembourg, Oman, and the US, with an estimated $7 billion in South Korea having been transferred to Qatar as part of a prisoner exchange.
