Iran-US technical talks conclude, deal advances

Kazem Gharibabadi, head of Iran's technical negotiating team, announced that the high-level follow-up committee on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) convened from Sunday into the early hours of Monday. This was followed by technical discussions aimed at establishing implementation mechanisms. Agreement was reached on several key measures.

Four working groups will be formed covering sanctions termination, nuclear issues, reconstruction and economic development, and monitoring and implementation. Future negotiations will be conducted under a high-level committee comprising Iran's parliament speaker and foreign minister, the U.S. vice president, and the prime ministers of Pakistan and Qatar.

A contact line will be established among the MoU's member states for the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. A conflict prevention unit for Lebanon will also be created, with member countries, Pakistan and Qatar participating. The heads of the four countries' technical teams will oversee and direct the working groups and the two units, reporting to the high-level committee.

Gharibabadi confirmed that the U.S. side issued a general licence for the sale of Iranian oil, petrochemicals, petroleum products and related services, published on the OFAC website. He added that signed agreements on the release of $12 billion in frozen funds, in two $6 billion instalments, will now enter the implementation phase immediately. According to Mehr News, these developments mark a significant step forward in the Iran-US technical talks.