Iran Says Final Nuclear Deal Talks With U.S. Will Start Friday

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday night that talks with the United States on the details of a final agreement will begin this coming Friday, the same day the two sides are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding. He said the negotiations would last 60 days and continue “until reaching a final agreement” on the nuclear issue and sanctions relief.

Saudi outlet Al Arabiya reported what it described as the full text of the memorandum, saying it will be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday. Under the reported draft, Iran, the United States and their allies in the current conflict would declare an immediate and permanent end to the fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, and commit not to use force or threaten one another. The final agreement would later confirm those terms.

The reported text also says the two countries will negotiate a final deal within 60 days, with an option to extend it by mutual consent. According to the report, the United States would lift a maritime restriction on Iranian ports within 30 days of signing, while Iran would end the blockage in the Strait of Hormuz within the same period.

On sanctions, the memorandum reportedly says that if the final agreement is implemented, Washington will remove all sanctions currently imposed on Iran, including UN Security Council and IAEA Board of Governors resolutions, as well as all U.S. primary and secondary sanctions. In return, Iran reiterates that it will never produce a nuclear weapon. The sides also reportedly agreed that the fate of enriched material and other nuclear issues, including Iran’s nuclear needs, will be handled in the final agreement. Until then, the U.S. will remain in the current status quo.