TEHRAN - Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Wednesday that Iran is waiting for South Korea’s “tangible” and “remarkable” actions.

“We have had enough of South Korea’s promises. So, we are just waiting for tangible and remarkable actions. Naturally, no one in Iran is waiting for a cargo of half a million or two million dollars,” he told IRNA.

He added, “We hope the Korean officials remember the volume of the Iranian people’s money in this country and also non-existence of legal impediment to do business with Iran.”

Yonhap reported that South Korea was set to hold virtual talks with Iran later Wednesday about expanding humanitarian trade like medicine exports, following the first such shipment to Tehran in May upon receiving a sanctions exemption from the U.S.

The discussion will focus on how to match Iran's demand for medicine and medical equipment with what South Korean exporters can offer, the ministry said in a release.

Lee Seong-ho, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, will lead the South Korean side comprised of officials from other ministries and trade agencies. Among the Iranian officials attending the meeting will be Mohammad Reza Shannehsaz, head of Iran’s Food and Drug Administration, and its central bank officials.

Iran is escalating pressure on the East Asian country to release about $7 billion of oil-export revenues, saying Seoul is buckling to pressure from its U.S. ally and illegally withholding funds needed to counter the coronavirus outbreak.

Iran is the hardest hit country by the coronavirus in West Asia. 

In late June, central bank governor Abdolnasser Hemmati said Iran will take back its dollars from South Korea through legal and international methods.

The official also expressed hope that the South Korean government would abide by its commitments and not block access to those funds under the pretext of the U.S. sanctions.

Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Tuesday that South Korea should revise illegal procedures and release Iran’s frozen money.

He noted that South Korea is expected to revise illegal procedures and facilitate importing humanitarian commodities to Iran when the country is fighting the coronavirus.

NA/PA