Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister: Iran and the US decide to establish multiple consultation working groups.

According to a report from the Islamic Republic News Agency on the 23rd, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said that Iran, the United States, and other parties have decided to set up multiple consultation working groups to move forward with the lifting of sanctions on Iran, nuclear-related issues, and other matters in future negotiations. The parties also agreed that the “unfreezing of $12 billion in frozen funds” will enter the implementation phase immediately.

Gharibabadi said that after the high-level committee responsible for overseeing the negotiations held meetings on the 21st and 22nd, the parties conducted technical talks to determine the implementation mechanisms for the memorandum of understanding and other matters, and reached the necessary consensus.

Gharibabadi said that, based on the consensus, the parties decided to establish 4 working groups to handle sanctions lifting, the nuclear issue, economic reconstruction and development, and matters related to supervision and implementation. The parties also decided to set up a “liaison point” to handle the safe passage of cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and to establish a conflict prevention mechanism concerning the situation in Lebanon.

Gharibabadi also said that during the technical talks, the parties made the necessary follow-up on the consensus regarding the issuance of export licenses for Iranian oil and other products and services, as well as the consensus related to unfreezing Iran’s frozen assets.

Gharibabadi said that the next round of negotiations will be conducted under the auspices of the high-level committee. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, U.S. Vice President Vance, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed would attend the next phase of talks.

On the 22nd, Qatar and Pakistan, as mediators in the Iran-U.S. negotiations, issued a joint statement saying that based on the memorandum of understanding, the parties agreed to establish a high-level committee to oversee the negotiation process. According to Iranian media reports on the 22nd, starting that day, the Iranian team led by Gharibabadi held technical talks with the U.S. side in Switzerland, and the main Iranian negotiating team had left Switzerland and returned home. (Xinhua News Agency)