Iran and US Resume Technical Talks in Doha Following Weekend Strikes
Iranian and US technical teams are expected to meet in Doha in the coming days to continue work on implementing a memorandum of understanding, according to a source with knowledge of the talks as reported by Reuters. The meeting comes after tit-for-tat strikes over the weekend raised concerns about the stability of the interim peace deal.
The US and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding on June 17, aimed at ending four months of conflict. Under the accord, both sides agreed to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas typically transits. The closure of the strait had pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, intensifying global inflation and creating political challenges for US President Donald Trump ahead of midterm elections.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told state media that the agreement would lift oil and petrochemical sanctions, allowing $6 billion of $12 billion in frozen assets in Qatar to be released and returned to Iran, Reuters reported.
However, the path to the upcoming talks has not been smooth. A member of the Office of Preservation and Publication of the Works of Iran’s Supreme Leader told state TV on Sunday that Iran had threatened to skip technical talks slated for that day due to recent attacks and unfulfilled conditions of the memorandum. In response, a senior US official told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that "nothing had been canceled" regarding the talks expected this week. Axios, citing a senior US official, reported that Washington and Tehran had agreed to stop attacks and meet in Qatar.
Despite the recent tensions, mediators have established communications channels to de-escalate any incidents, and technical talks are set to continue, the source added. However, a senior Iranian official was reported as saying technical meetings were not confirmed.
The interim agreement lays the groundwork for 60 days of more in-depth negotiations on difficult issues, including Iran's nuclear program. Both sides have offered conflicting accounts of what was agreed upon.
Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned that a US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel could lead to attempts to divide the Lebanese and said it would not be implemented, a statement reported by The Jerusalem Post.