BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 29. The volume of foreign assets held by Iranian banks increased by 78.9% at the end of the last Iranian year (March 20, 2026) compared with the end of the previous year (March 20, 2025), according to statistics from the Central Bank of Iran.
The data show that foreign assets of Iranian banks reached 169 quadrillion rials (about $129 billion) at the end of the last Iranian year, up from approximately 94.6 quadrillion rials (about $72.3 billion) a year earlier.
Overall assets and liabilities of Iranian banks and financial institutions also rose sharply. At the end of the last Iranian year, total assets and debts stood at 538 quadrillion rials (about $411 billion), an increase of 58.4% compared with 340 quadrillion rials (about $260 billion) at the end of the previous year.
According to Trend analysis, the increase in foreign assets may support the pace of economic development in Iran. However, analysts note that ongoing international sanctions continue to create challenging conditions for domestic economic growth.
Current discussions between Iran and the United States are primarily focused on the release of Iran’s frozen assets abroad. While the total value of these frozen funds has not been fully disclosed, it is known that around $6 billion is held in South Korea and was later transferred to Qatar. Iran is expected to gain access to these funds in the first phase.
Although the amount is relatively small in terms of the overall Iranian economy, it is viewed as a notable step in efforts to unlock overseas assets.
