“Entering into 60 days of negotiations is conditional upon the fulfilment of these commitments by the United States.” That was the line from Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, quoted by Press TV, after a peace deal with Washington was announced in mid-June.
Gharibabadi confirmed the deal but laid out what Tehran wants to see first. Iran will check whether the US has ended hostilities, lifted its blockade and released Iranian assets before it enters the proposed 60-day period of talks toward a final agreement.
He said the signing ceremony would take place on Friday, after which the text of the Memorandum of Understanding would be published. The heads of the two delegations would then discuss arrangements for the negotiations. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X that signing was set for June 19 in Switzerland, with a series of pre-implementation meetings beforehand. He thanked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye for helping with mediation.
Sharif said both sides had agreed to the immediate and permanent end of military operations on all fronts, Lebanon included.
Trump’s announcement
President Donald Trump had already declared the deal done. On Truth Social he wrote: “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorise the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!”
Iran’s framing
Gharibabadi said Iran had written all of its key positions into the draft memorandum. In his telling, the document owed as much to battlefield results as to diplomacy. “The enemy that had launched an attack to carry out its sinister objectives suffered defeat in all its goals,” he said.
He was careful to say the paper was no sign of goodwill. “This memorandum of understanding does not mean trusting the enemy,” he told Al Jazeera. “We will monitor the implementation of US commitments.”
Earlier demands
Tehran had set out terms before. In May, Fars News Agency reported, citing an informed source, that Iran would not enter a second round of negotiations unless five conditions were met. They were ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, lifting sanctions, releasing frozen assets, compensation for war damage, and recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Fars said Iran put these forward in reply to a 14-point US proposal it called “completely one-sided”.
The ceasefire that led to the deal took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement, and Trump later extended the truce without a deadline.
Sources
- Iran sets conditions for 60-day peace talks with US
- Iran sets 5 conditions for new talks with US: Report
