Iran says Tehran and Washington finalise MoU to end war

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Saturday (23 May) that Iran and the United States (US) are working to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to end the war.

“At this stage, our focus is to end this imposed war,” Baghaei told Iran’s state-run IRIB news agency following a Pakistani delegation’s visit to Tehran on Friday (22 May), which included Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

“Our intention is to first agree on an MoU consisting of 14 clauses,” Baghaei noted, adding that “within 30 to 60 days” they would “reach a final agreement.”

“We are in the finalisation stage of the MoU. The issues under discussion focus on ending the war (on all fronts, including Lebanon),” he said. “Key topics in the MoU include halting US maritime attacks, or what they term naval blockades, as well as other matters related to the release of frozen Iranian assets.”

Regarding the 30-60 day period mentioned in the MoU text, Baghaei explained that the timeline would only commence after the document is formally signed.

“We must wait and see what happens in the next three to four days,” he added, noting that Iran’s nuclear issue is not the focus of current peace talks.

Baghaei also identified Pakistan as the primary mediator in the negotiations, highlighting the country’s “crucial role” in facilitating ongoing communication between Iran and the US.

Iran, the US, and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on 8 April after 40 days of fighting that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February.

Following the ceasefire, Iranian and US delegations held one round of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 11 and 12 April, but failed to reach an agreement.

In recent weeks, both sides have reportedly exchanged proposals outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistan’s mediation.