Iran says Tehran, Washington working to finalise MoU on ending war
Tehran, May 24
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and the United States are working to finalise a memorandum of understanding on ending the war.
"At this stage, our focus is on ending the imposed war," Baghaei told state-run IRIB news agency on Saturday, following a visit to Tehran on Friday by a Pakistani delegation that included Army Chief Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
"Our intention has been to firstly agree on a MoU consisting of 14 clauses," Baghaei said, noting that "within a period of 30 to 60 days," they would "reach a final agreement."
"We are at the stage of finalizing the MoU. The issues that are being discussed are focused on ending the war (on all fronts, including Lebanon)," he said. "Among the major topics to be addressed in the MoU are the cessation of US maritime attacks, or naval blockade as they themselves call it, and other issues pertaining to the release of Iranian frozen assets."
Clarifying on the 30- to 60-day period brought up in the MoU's text, Baghaei said it will only begin once the document is formally agreed upon, Xinhua news agency reported.
"We should wait and see what will happen within the next three to four days," he said, adding that Iran's nuclear issue is not a focus of the peace talks at this stage.
Baghaei also referred to Pakistan as the principal mediator in the talks, highlighting its "important role" in ensuring the continued exchange of messages between Iran and the United States.
Iran, the United States and Israel reached a ceasefire on April 8 after 40 days of fighting that started with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
Following the truce, Iranian and US delegations held one round of peace talks in Pakistan's Islamabad on April 11 and 12, which failed to yield an agreement.
Over the past weeks, the two sides have reportedly exchanged several proposed plans outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistani mediation.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's telling that Iran's nuclear program isn't even on the table for these talks. That's the elephant in the room. And Pakistan as mediator? With all due respect, that seems like an odd choice given their own internal and external challenges. 🤔
As an Indian, I'm watching this closely. Pakistan getting this diplomatic win is concerning for us, but if it brings peace, good for the region. The frozen assets and naval blockade issues are major hurdles. Hope the MoU includes concrete mechanisms, not just promises. 🤞
A 14-clause MoU in 30-60 days sounds ambitious given the complexities. I'm skeptical about Pakistan's role as mediator—they have their own interests in the Gulf. But any step towards de-escalation is welcome. The world needs less war, not more.
India should have been the mediator given our historical ties with Iran and good relations with the US. But Pakistan nabbed this opportunity. Ab dekhte hain what comes out of it. The nuclear issue being sidelined is worrying though—that's the core problem.
I appreciate Iran's focus on ending the war, but 14 clauses is a lot to negotiate in a month. The ceasefire already held for 46 days, which is positive. Let's hope the MoU addresses humanitarian concerns too—civilians always suffer the most in these conflicts.
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