Iran Says It Made Major Progress With US, Agrees on Hormuz Shipping Mechanism

18 hours of talks held in Switzerland

Oil exports, release of frozen funds discussed

Iran demands preconditions be met before final-deal talks

Iran said it made progress in lengthy talks with the US in Switzerland. The agenda included a mechanism for safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian oil exports and the release of frozen funds.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s negotiating team in talks with the US, told Iranian state television on June 22 that Tehran and Washington had agreed to establish a mechanism to ensure the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. He called the issue important. The talks lasted 18 hours.

The sides also discussed licenses needed for Iran’s oil exports and the release of frozen funds. Those issues are highly important, and the talks produced major progress, Baghaei said.

Iran’s position is that conditions set out in an existing memorandum of understanding must be implemented before negotiations can begin on a final agreement. Under Article 13 of the memorandum, those conditions must be met before the parties can enter final-deal talks, he said.

Article 13 of the earlier memorandum includes an end to war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the lifting of a US maritime blockade and Iran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Sanctions-related measures were also listed as preconditions for final negotiations, including authorization for exports of Iranian crude and petrochemical products and the release of Iran’s frozen funds.

War must end on all fronts, including Lebanon, Baghaei said. He added that while the negotiating team’s work had ended for now, working-level teams would continue discussions on June 23, in talks attended by the mediating countries, on issues needed for the memorandum’s effective implementation.

The talks were not smooth throughout. Baghaei said Iran took a negative view of continuing the meeting after threatening remarks by the US side were made public during the four-party talks.

Threatening US comments were disclosed during the four-party meeting, and Iran declared it was unwilling to continue under those conditions. Qatar and Pakistan, acting as mediators, tried to keep the dialogue going, but Tehran refused, he added.

Baghaei also said the US must be pressed to honor its commitments. Iran’s negotiating team believes the other side should be held to its obligations and pressured to comply. He added that Tehran had expressed concern about failures to keep promises, especially what it described as repeated ceasefire violations by the Zionist regime, meaning Israel.

Hong Min-seong, Hankyung.com reporter mshong@hankyung.com