Iran has announced the conclusion of technical talks with the US in Burgenstock, Switzerland, as part of Qatari- and Pakistani-mediated negotiations aimed at ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who led Iran's technical negotiating team, said on Tuesday the four-party talks concluded with an agreement on arrangements for future negotiations, including working groups and implementation mechanisms, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported.
Gharibabadi said the discussions followed a high-level committee meeting held on Sunday to monitor implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding — a framework agreement to end the war signed virtually by the US and Iranian presidents on June 17 — which continued into Monday.
“Technical discussions were held to determine the implementation mechanisms of the memorandum of understanding and the statement issued at the conclusion of the high-level meeting, and the necessary understandings were reached,” he said.
Under the arrangements agreed upon, future negotiations will be conducted under the supervision of the high-level committee, attended by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, US Vice President JD Vance, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, Gharibabadi noted.
Four working groups
The parties agreed to establish four working groups dealing with sanctions removal, nuclear-related sanctions, reconstruction and economic development, and monitoring and implementation, he added.
According to Gharibabadi, the four parties also agreed to establish a contact mechanism on the Strait of Hormuz security and a Lebanon "conflict-prevention unit" under the supervision of the negotiating parties and mediators.
The heads of the four technical teams will report to the high-level committee and oversee the activities of the working groups and newly established units, he outlined.
Gharibabadi also said the technical talks addressed procedures related to the issuance of a general licence for Iranian oil, petroleum and petrochemical exports and related services, as well as arrangements concerning the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding
He said the US had issued a general licence covering the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products and related services, adding that the authorisation had been published on the website of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The deputy foreign minister further said the parties agreed on the immediate implementation of arrangements for the release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds.
Iran and the US announced on June 14 that they had reached a 14-point understanding mediated by Pakistan, aimed at ending the war and addressing outstanding disputes through dialogue and negotiations.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding entered into force on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump.
The agreement includes provisions related to ending the war, including in Lebanon, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and lifting the US naval blockade imposed on Iran.
