Iran rules out US talks unless MoU’s certain provisions fulfilled: Qalibaf

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has ruled out fresh negotiations with the United States until five key provisions of the recently signed peace MoU are implemented, including ending the war in Lebanon, lifting the US naval blockade, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, waivers for Iranian oil exports, and release of frozen assets.

Tehran: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran will not enter negotiations with the United States on a final agreement unless certain paragraphs of a recently signed peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two sides are implemented.

Qalibaf, also the head of Iran’s negotiating team, made the remarks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV while elaborating on the latest developments pertaining to the implementation of the peace MoU and talks with the United States.

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He said Iran’s recent trip to Switzerland sought to implement the MoU provisions for ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, lifting the US naval blockade, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, issuing US waivers for Iranian crude oil exports, and releasing frozen Iranian assets, Xinhua news agency reported.

Unless these five preliminary paragraphs are fulfilled, the other paragraphs’ implementation will not begin, Qalibaf said.

He said Iran, the United States and Lebanon agreed to form a joint committee to enforce the ceasefire, ensure the war’s end in Lebanon, and uphold Lebanese sovereignty, adding that Iran and the United States, two of the three parties, already named their representatives.

Iran both pursues the path of dialogue and responds with force wherever necessary, he added.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iran has agreed not to acquire a nuclear weapon ahead of fresh negotiations in Doha, expressing confidence that the US was making progress both diplomatically and militarily while insisting Tehran would not be allowed to develop nuclear arms.

Speaking in the Oval Office before signing a presidential memorandum on vehicle repairs, Trump said officials were already travelling to Qatar for talks scheduled on Tuesday.

“There’ll be a meeting on that tomorrow, in Doha… we’ll see how that goes,” Trump said. “The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We’re going to find out.”

The President struck an optimistic tone about the negotiations, saying the US had gained the upper hand after recent military action against Iran’s nuclear programme.

On June 18, Iran and the United States signed the MoU on ending the war in the region. On June 22, technical negotiations between Iran and the United States began in Switzerland following high-level consultations between Iranian and US delegations the previous day with the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar.