Iran Refuses US Talks Until MoU Terms Met, Says Parliament Speaker

Tehran (ANTARA) - Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Tuesday that Iran will not initiate negotiations on a final agreement with the United States unless certain clauses in a recently signed peace Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) have been implemented. Qalibaf, who also serves as head of Iran’s negotiating team, made the statement during an interview with state-run IRIB TV while outlining the latest developments regarding the implementation of the peace MoU and talks with the US. He mentioned that Iran’s recent visit to Switzerland aimed to execute the MoU’s provisions to end the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, lift the US naval blockade, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, issue US waivers for Iranian crude oil exports, and unfreeze Iran’s blocked assets. If these five preliminary points are not fulfilled, the implementation of other points will not commence, Qalibaf stated. He said that Iran, the US, and Lebanon agreed to form a joint committee to enforce the ceasefire, ensure the end of the war in Lebanon, and uphold Lebanese sovereignty, adding that Iran and the US, as two of the three involved parties, have appointed their respective representatives. Iran is pursuing the path of dialogue while also responding with force if necessary, Qalibaf added. On 18 June, Iran and the US signed an MoU on ending the war in the region. On 22 June, technical negotiations between Iran and the US began in Switzerland, following high-level consultations between Iranian and US delegations the previous day mediated by Pakistan and Qatar.