Iran denies any meeting with US in coming days

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has categorically denied any meeting with the United States at any level in the coming days. Speaking to reporters, Baghaei addressed recent claims by US President Joe Biden that the two sides would hold talks in Doha on Tuesday at Tehran's request. Baghaei stated that the issue of US representatives going to Qatar is not linked to the Iranian delegation's trip to the neighboring country.

Baghaei outlined the latest developments regarding the implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the recent conflict. He said Iran’s current priority is to ensure the full implementation of the commitments outlined in the agreement and that Tehran is actively pursuing its demands in this regard. Addressing the implementation of various provisions of the MoU, including oil sales and the release of Iran’s frozen assets, Baghaei said the necessary US authorizations under Article 10 concerning oil exports have been issued and Iran is monitoring their implementation. He added that the process of implementing Article 11 on the release of Iran’s frozen assets is also underway.

As part of these efforts, an Iranian technical delegation will travel to Doha later this week to follow up on the issue. Baghaei also dismissed speculation about the start of negotiations on a final agreement, saying that stage has not yet begun. According to him, under Article 13 of the MoU, negotiations on a final agreement can only begin after the implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11 has started and continues.

Responding to reports suggesting that senior US officials may travel to Qatar at the same time as the Iranian delegation, Baghaei reiterated that no negotiations with the United States are planned in the coming days and that the reported US visit has no connection with the Iranian delegation’s mission to follow up on the implementation of the memorandum, including Article 11. According to Mehr News, Baghaei's remarks come amid heightened speculation about potential US-Iran talks.