As U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday, a regional analyst warned that a dispute over billions in potentially unfrozen Iranian assets could quickly test the durability of a fledgling interim agreement.

The disagreement is emerging, they say, as Washington and Tehran begin implementing the memorandum of understanding signed June 17, with negotiators holding the first round of talks at Bürgenstock, near Lucerne, Switzerland.

According to Iran International, President Masoud Pezeshkian had signaled Tehran’s expectations early Sunday, saying, «$6 billion of our funds in Qatar will be returned. Trump, who tried to deny Iran its rights, acknowledged them in his recent speech.»

The dispute traces back to discussions at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders debated the issue.

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«We have taken their money, it isn’t our money, it is their money, and we froze it,» President Donald Trump said. «At a certain point in time, I guess we’re going to have to give it back.»

He also stressed that any access to the funds remains strictly conditional, writing on Truth Social that Iran would receive «not ten cents» during the 60-day negotiation period if it failed to uphold its commitments.

«There are effectively two competing narratives about the frozen funds,» Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.

«Releasing frozen assets is not simply an economic question. It is one of the central political tests of trust between Tehran and Washington and will likely become one of the first major implementation disputes in the weeks ahead,» Vatanka added.

Paragraph 11 of the MOU framework states that the United States «undertakes to make fully available» restricted and frozen Iranian funds.

However, the agreement ties any release of funds to a step-by-step process based on compliance, rather than granting immediate, unrestricted access.

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The U.S. delegation, including Steve Witkoff, JD Vance and Jared Kushner, arrived in Switzerland on Sunday. (Nathan Howard/Pool/REUTERS)

«First, there remains considerable uncertainty over the total amount of Iranian assets frozen abroad,» Vatanka said.

«Iranian officials often speak of more than $100 billion, while Western estimates range higher. The immediate negotiations, however, appear focused on securing access to roughly $24 billion to $25 billion as an initial tranche.»

Iran’s frozen assets are widely estimated at between $100 billion and $120 billion and held under sanctions and financial restrictions in countries including China, India, Iraq and South Korea, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.

Vatanka said the central dispute extends beyond the size of the payout.

«The real dispute is not simply about how much money Iran receives, but who ultimately controls how it is spent.»

«Iranian officials are emphasizing sovereignty over the funds, while the United States is trying to preserve leverage by attaching conditions to their use,» he added as talks got underway Sunday.

In a statement on X, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said the talks are aimed at reaching a comprehensive and lasting agreement covering all elements of the framework.

Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said technical teams were negotiating the final deal while oversight groups would monitor implementation and track progress.

The U.S. and Qatar are exploring a mechanism to channel an initial $6 billion toward humanitarian purchases, including food and medicine, according to reports.

US ECONOMIC CHOKEHOLD ON IRAN REACHES PEAK LEVERAGE AS COLLAPSE RISKS EMERGE

Hezbollah terrorists holding rifles are shown in this image. A «terrorist network» funded and operated by Hezbollah and Iran was foiled in the United Arab Emirates, according to a report. (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

However, Western intelligence officials remain concerned that unfrozen funds could be diverted to regional conflicts rather than domestic development projects.

Reuters reported that Iran has already signaled to Hezbollah that increased financial support could resume if Tehran’s cash flow improves.

«This issue also has an important regional dimension,» Vatanka said. «Iran has pledged to direct a portion of those reconstruction funds toward supporting its weakened proxy network in Lebanon.»

«The United States has insisted that Iran cannot use any unfrozen assets to fund terrorist organizations, warning that access to the funds would be revoked if Tehran violates the terms of the agreement,» he added.

Vatanka said the two sides also remain divided over the broader purpose of the agreement.

«Tehran is presenting the roughly $25 billion as money that will be released gradually and invested in rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, with officials talking about roads, airports, transport corridors and projects that visibly benefit ordinary Iranians.»

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«Washington, however, appears to be describing something much narrower,» Vatanka added.

«U.S. officials have indicated they want the funds released through controlled mechanisms, primarily for humanitarian and other approved civilian purchases, rather than giving Tehran unrestricted access.»

La primera batalla terminó. Pero vendrán otras desde este mismo lunes y, más aún, desde el 7 de agosto, cuando Gustavo Petro termine su mandato y deje su oficina en la Casa de Nariño a su adversario y ahora sucesor, quien deberá mostrar gran cintura política en los cuatro años de gobierno que tiene por delante.

Abelardo De la Espriella, un abogado y empresario que llega a la presidencia sin experiencia en puestos políticos, no la tendrá fácil. Se encontrará con un camino sinuoso y plagado de obstáculos para manejar las riendas de este país de más de 53 millones de habitantes, con una historia de violencia, desigualdades, una enorme diversidad social y que enfrenta ahora serios desafíos económicos y de seguridad, entre otros.

El futuro presidente recibe un país partido en dos. Y deberá tener bien claro que su victoria no le da vía libre para hacer realidad sus promesas de campaña. Su margen de maniobra será bien ajustado y encontrará frenos en el Parlamento y en la Justicia para poder implementar algunas de sus propuestas más polémicas, especialmente en temas de seguridad.

Gran parte de los votos que recibió no fueron por convicción o adhesión ciega, sino más bien por rechazo a la opción contraria. Son muchos aquí los que han elegido por lo que creían “menos malo” y no le darán un apoyo sin condiciones.

“No va a ser una transición tranquila”, vaticinó el analista y columnista político Héctor Riveros, en diálogo con Clarín. El nuevo presidente enfrentará resistencias, y luego de una campaña que se basó en los discursos encendidos, acusaciones y golpes de efecto más que en propuestas concretas, es incierto por ahora de qué manera encarará la tarea de gobernar.

“Es posible que encuentre resistencia en las calles. No porque el gobierno vaya a convocar a manifestaciones, pero se han visto en las últimas semanas grupos de jóvenes, militantes de izquierda, que han salido espontáneamente a protestar contra De la Espriella. Y es posible que veamos más protestas en estos días”, señaló el experto.

El analista político Carlos Augusto Chacón, director ejecutivo del Instituto de Ciencia Política Hernán Echavarría Olózaga, coincide. “Va a ser una transición difícil. Es posible que Petro desconozca los resultados, como hizo en la primera vuelta”, afirmó.

Los retos para el próximo gobierno no son simples. El país atraviesa su peor ola de violencia en la última década. Esta campaña quedó marcada desde el comienzo por el asesinato a tiros del candidato presidencia Miguel Uribe Turbay, en junio del año pasado, y de una serie de ataques con bombas y drones explosivos.

Las autoridades contabilizaron 14.780 homicidios el año pasado, la cifra más alta desde 2015. Las extorsiones también se han disparado a 13.417 casos en 2025, más del doble de las registradas una década atrás.

En este contexto, De la Espriella se presentó como el abanderado del orden, el único capaz de devolver la seguridad al país. Pero el camino que plantea para lograr ese objetivo es resistido por una porción importante de la población y la clase política.

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Hoy la mayoría de los colombianos eligieron el camino de la libertad económica, la prosperidad, la seguridad implacable y decirle BASTA al crimen…

— Javier Milei (@JMilei) June 21, 2026

Por ejemplo, prevé cortar de cuajo con los fracasados esfuerzos de diálogo con los grupos armados en cambio combatirlos con “la fuerza de las armas”. Además, promete construir “mega cárceles”, inspiradas en las del presidente salvadoreño Nayib Bukele, para criminales y narcotraficantes.

Para terminar con la producción de cocaína, quiere fumigar con herbicidas biológicos los plantíos de hoja de coca. Además, adhiere a la política antidrogas de Donald Trump, incluyendo los bombardeos a embarcaciones que presuntamente trafican drogas.

Pero el futuro presidente deberá lograr consensos y negociar con un Parlamento dividido, donde las fuerzas políticas están fragmentadas y pondrán seguramente un freno a su plan de gobierno.

De la Espriella tendrá a su favor que la derecha aparece como el bloque ideológico más numeroso del Congreso. Así, ya cuenta con una base legislativa propia gracias al respaldo de Salvación Nacional, partido de ultraderecha que obtuvo cuatro escaños en el Senado en las elecciones legislativas de marzo. Y se suman los respaldos que ha recibido para la segunda vuelta de dirigentes y sectores de partidos tradicionales.

Pero tendrá en frente a una oposición de izquierda fortalecida respecto al actual Congreso, y de manera inevitable tendrá que consensuar apoyos, en especial para las medidas más polémicas que ha presentado en temas de seguridad.

De la Espriella también promete medidas drásticas para reducir el inmenso déficit fiscal del país, que se amplió en los últimos años por las políticas sociales de Petro, que logró reducir la pobreza y la desigualdad a costa de un enorme endeudamiento.

El mandatario electo admira la política de la “motosierra” de Javier Milei y ha prometido un ajuste feroz. Queda por ver qué margen tendrá para implementar sus propuestas. Es claro que su gobierno comienza debilitado, con una firme oposición por delante y un futuro vidrioso.

The government of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama is under increasing pressure as Albanians continue taking to the streets to call for his resignation, as well as the leader of the opposition, Sali Berisha, faulting them and their parties for some thirty years of corruption ever since the end of the communist regime in 1991.

The catalyst for the protests first began over a multi-billion-dollar luxury resort plan by Jared Kushner and his business partners pursuing the creation of two resort properties through investment firm Affinity Partners that will add around 10,000 hotel rooms and villas to Albanian coastal lands.

One planned location, the abandoned Sazan Island, is the home of a former Soviet military base. The other property in Zvërnec is said to be home to the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape where monk seals and flamingos make their homes and sea turtles nest.

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Agim Nesho, former Albanian ambassador to the U.S. and the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, «Unlike some of the misinformation in the media, the protests in Albania are not against the family of President Donald Trump and foreign investors like Jared Kushner. These investors are bringing in $4 billion dollars into Albania that will create jobs and opportunity for our youth. 

«They are building on private land whose protected status was revoked years ago by Rama and his oligarchs. Global investors have standards and demonstrate accountability, and there is a hope they will show more care and consideration for the environment than Edi Rama and the business interests around him, who would instead build there on their own,» he said.

Nesho claimed that «After 12 years and at least three stolen elections, including last year’s parliamentary election which was not recognized by the United States, and which handed Rama a supermajority that can change laws and the constitution, Rama’s days now look to be numbered.»

Eric Czuleger, Editor-in-Chief of The Under Report, has lived in Albania for five years and has documented the growing protests. He told Fox News Digital that «Rama’s government has never been under such direct pressure from the Albanian people and his response is instructive. First, he denied the existence of the protests, claiming that they were a couple hundred people with an axe to grind. When they grew, the international media forced the domestic media [to] stop its blackout. Suddenly, the protests were a ‘hybrid war’ spurred on by Iran and Russia.»

Protestors hold banners as they gather in front of the Albanian Prime Minister’s Office to demonstrate against the construction on the southern coast of Albania a luxury resort near a protected natural area, in Tirana, on June 10, 2026.  (Adnan Beci / AFP via Getty Images)

The protests, which began in May, have not swayed Prime Minister Rama’s support for planned investments. The Rama government sent a lengthy response to Fox News Digital on behalf of the prime minister directed at «all interested foreign parties and individuals, who have spread all kinds of misinformation and launched all kinds of baseless attacks all over the globe against a highly ambitious project with the potential to become another role model for how next-generation tourism destinations can be built.»

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His statement added that «Sazan Island is state property and has never been intended, nor requested, to be sold.» He also said that the «area in Zvërnec is privately owned land,» and explains that additional claimants to the land have taken their claims to court. 

In an effort to clear up misconceptions, Rama’s statement said that «the project must undergo not merely an ordinary Environmental Impact Assessment, but an In-Depth Environmental Impact Assessment.» Rama also claims that the project location «has no connection whatsoever with the Vjosa Delta,» and says that claims that protected status labels were removed from development areas to allow for investment «is one of the greatest falsehoods inflated beyond all imagination.»

Protestors with their faces covered by images depicting Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama (R) and Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha gather in front of Albania’s Prime Minister’s Office in Tirana on June 12, 2026. (Adnan Beci / AFP via Getty Images)

Irrespective of Rama’s defense of the projects, on Wednesday, the European Parliament urged the Albanian government to stop construction on protected lands, Politico reported. They also called for a moratorium on further permits and construction in protected areas.

A source familiar with the situation with the luxury resort project told Fox News Digital that some of what is circulating online about the project is fabricated and doctored, and that some disinformation has emerged from outside the country.  

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Asher Abehsera, Chair of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Fox News Digital that «for four years, we have worked toward creating a world-class destination on the Albanian coast—one rooted in thoughtful design, environmental stewardship, and long-term economic opportunity. Our goal is simple: celebrate Albania’s natural beauty, create jobs, and build something future generations can be proud of.» Abehsera said that the project’s «future will ultimately be determined by Albania and the Albanian people.»

As the protests continue, Czuleger said that Albanians are both «concerned that nothing will happen» and «concerned that something bad could happen» if the Rama government does step down. «If leadership doesn’t change now, then people wonder if the corruption will ever stop,» he said. «If leadership does change then it’s possible someone worse comes in.» Czuleger said that «protesters are tired,» and «the news cycle is moving on.» Noting that the «only thing that will bring a change to the administration is patience, pressure, and a clarification of the movement’s goals.»

Albanian actor and artist Florjan Binaj told Fox News that the protests «are the biggest protests that have ever happened in Albania since 1991.» He called the protest atmosphere «amazingly powerful.

Binaj said that he plans to join the protests for «as long as [he] can,» noting that «the protesters want Rama’s resignation» to pave the way for an alternative government.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks during a press conference following the EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels, Belgium, on May 26, 2026. (Daniel Gnap/NurPhoto)

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Nesho added,» The protesters have risen up due to the fact that one of the poorest countries in Europe can count billions and billions in corruption by a government that holds itself accountable to no one. It is difficult for the protesters to compromise and negotiate with PM Rama under these circumstances. The only path is resignation of the government and early elections under international monitors.»

The Rama government did not respond to direct questions about protesters’ concerns.