UAE seizes Iran assets

The Wall Street Journal reported on March 5–6 that U.A.E. officials are weighing a plan to freeze “billions of dollars” in Iranian assets held in the Emirates, according to people familiar with internal discussions. (cnbc.com) (cnbc.com) Those WSJ-sourced reports say planned measures would focus first on accounts tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and UAE-based “shadow” companies, and that policymakers discussed tougher enforcement on informal currency exchangers and even seizure of Iranian ships. (straitstimes.com) (straitstimes.com) Major wire services and Emirati spokespeople have not independently confirmed an asset seizure or freeze, and the Emirati foreign ministry did not issue a public confirmation when asked. (straitstimes.com) (straitstimes.com) State-affiliated Iranian outlets and social posts have since circulated far larger figures—reporting a UAE seizure of roughly $530 billion and mass revocation of Iranian residency and “golden visas”—but those claims trace to regional and Persian‑language sources and lack corroboration from international financial authorities. (hindustantimes.com) (hindustantimes.com) Independent estimates place Iran’s total frozen assets abroad at roughly $100–$120 billion, a figure analysts cite when assessing whether any claimed multi‑hundred‑billion seizure would be plausible against previously reported holdings. (wikipedia.org) (en.wikipedia.org) Separately, the UAE’s diplomatic adviser, Anwar Gargash, publicly called on March 29 for any political settlement to include reparations and guarantees against future Iranian strikes, signaling a hardening of the Emirates’ negotiating position even as specific financial actions remain unconfirmed. (alarabiya.net) (english.alarabiya.net)