Originally Published in JNS.org

By Alina Dain Sharon and Sean Savage

Speaking on the issue of releasing Iranian frozen assets, Dr. Hooshang Amirahmadi, a professor of planning and public policy at New Jersey-based Rutgers University and a candidate in Iran’s 2013 presidential race, said that “most people misunderstand, or don’t want to acknowledge, that the [sanctions relief] money they are talking about is Iran’s money. This is not a gift. This is Iran’s money held in [foreign] banks.”

Another misunderstanding, Amirahmadi told JNS.org, is the concept “that there’s a check that tomorrow that will be returned to Iran for $100 or $150 billion to the Iranian government, and the Iranian government will take it, put in a bank account and start writing checks” to terror groups. In reality, he said, the money will be gradually released and allocated toward a budget.