Tehran notes 'good progress' on Swiss talks with US

Official Tehran records "good progress" in negotiations with the American side in the Swiss town of Bürgenstock.

This was stated by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esma'il Bagha'i following an intense 18-hour round of talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan.

"Good progress was made in the Swiss talks regarding the fulfillment of the other side's obligations," the diplomat noted. He stressed that "the philosophy of our presence was to demand that the other side fulfill its commitments."

Under the memorandum of understanding, the parties agreed to establish a new body, the "Conflict Prevention Commission." Bagha'i explained that this tool "was created to ensure a sustainable end to the war and a ceasefire in Lebanon," adding that "according to paragraph 1 of the memorandum, war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, must cease." In addition, a serious shift was recorded in discussions of economic issues concerning "the issuance of necessary licenses for the sale of Iranian oil, as well as the other side's obligations to unblock or unfreeze Iranian assets." To move to the stage of a final agreement, "practical steps must be taken both regarding the unblocking of assets and the sale of oil." The parties also agreed to create a mechanism to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The negotiation process, which began in a four-way format involving Iran, the US, Qatar, and Pakistan, was marred by a diplomatic incident, Bagha'i noted. After an hour and a half of discussions, "insulting and threatening comments from the US president" appeared in the media, which, according to Bagha'i, "prompted the Islamic Republic of Iran's delegation to directly state its unwillingness to continue the four-way meeting under such circumstances." Thanks to mediation by Doha and Islamabad, the dialogue was able to continue, but Iran insisted: "if they continue, it will not be directly, that is, within the framework of four-way dialogue and exchange of messages."

During the meetings, Tehran also protested against Israel's violations of the June 18 agreement.

In the near future, Qatar and Pakistan will publish a joint document outlining the general provisions of these agreements. Starting today, technical teams from the parties will begin meetings "for a more detailed discussion of various components of the memorandum of understanding," Bagha'i said.

Source: IRNA