Iran announced on Monday that no negotiations with the United States are scheduled at any level in the coming days, emphasizing that its priority remains the implementation of the bilateral memorandum of understanding on ending the war. Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry and negotiating team spokesman, told reporters that Tehran is currently focused on ensuring the implementation of the memorandum’s provisions and is “seriously pursuing” its demands in that regard, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Memorandum Implementation Underway
Baqaei stated that the US had already issued the necessary licenses under Article 10 of the memorandum related to oil sales and that Iran was monitoring the implementation process. Regarding Article 11, which concerns the release of Iran’s frozen assets, he said the implementation process was also underway. An Iranian expert delegation is scheduled to travel to Doha later this week to follow up on the matter.
No Final Agreement Talks Yet
Baqaei added that Iran has not yet entered the stage of negotiations for a final agreement. He explained that Article 13 of the memorandum stipulates that talks on a comprehensive deal “can only begin” after the implementation of Articles 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 and their continued enforcement. He also denied reports about a possible meeting with senior US representatives in Doha during the Iranian delegation’s visit, stating that any US trip to Qatar would have no connection to Iran’s technical mission there.
Key Articles of the Memorandum
The 14-point Islamabad memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US entered into force on June 18 after being electronically signed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump. This followed weeks of regional tensions triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Under the memorandum, Article 1 covers the ceasefire and end of military operations, Article 4 addresses the Lebanon front and Israeli withdrawal arrangements, while Article 5 regulates temporary navigation and security coordination in the Strait of Hormuz. Articles 10 and 11 deal with Iranian oil exports and access to frozen assets, respectively.
