Hemmati Calls for Faster Release of Iran's Frozen Currency Reserves at Iraq's Central Bank

According to Ecoiran, citing Tasnim, Abdolnasser Hemmati, governor of the Central Bank of Iran, stressed the need to speed up the removal of banking obstacles and implement mechanisms for accessing Iran's currency reserves held in Iraq's banking system, at a meeting on Monday, 26 Mordad 1405 (August 17, 2026), with his Iraqi counterpart, Nazar Naser Hussein. Hemmati also called for resolving Iran's outstanding claims against the Iraqi government and easing banking procedures for Iranian economic operators.

Iraq's central bank governor welcomed the expansion of economic ties between the two countries at the meeting and emphasized using shared capacities to boost financial cooperation. Hemmati concluded the meeting by inviting his Iraqi counterpart on an official visit to Tehran; the two sides also discussed issues facing Iranian traders and exporters active in Iraq.