Iran-US Complete Technical Talks, Agree to Create Four Working Groups

JAKARTA - Technical talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland have been completed, with a negotiating group to be formed to discuss nuclear issues and sanctions, Iran's government media reported on Tuesday.

The negotiators "decided that four working groups will be formed: Ending Sanctions, Nuclear Affairs, Economic Reconstruction and Development, and Monitoring and Implementation," the state news agency IRNA quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi as saying, launching Al Arabiya (23/6).

As previously reported, Tehran and Washington held peace talks with the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar at the Lake Lucerne Summit at the Burgenstock Resort, Switzerland, Sunday (21/6).

The Lake Lucerne Summit was held following the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which consists of 14 points and was signed by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian last week.

The US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance. From the Iranian side there was the Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Galibaf. Meanwhile, Pakistan is led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar is led by Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

The talks in Switzerland are the first stage of a two-month negotiation period set out under an initial deal agreed last week.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei later said the two countries' negotiations had been completed, with technical teams continuing work, quoted by CNN.

"The US and Iranian delegations in Switzerland discussed the remaining clauses needed to start final negotiations, including the release of frozen Iranian assets and obtaining an exemption from sanctions for the sale of Iranian oil," Baghaei said, adding "good progress has been made."

The US and Iran also agreed that ships should be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz safely, Baghaei said.

He later told the official IRNA news agency on Monday that Tehran was not negotiating its nuclear program and did not accept any new commitments in Sunday's talks with the US in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Iran's interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will continue in accordance with the applicable procedures, with the approval of the Iranian parliament and the decision of the Supreme National Security Council, added Baghaei.