Iranian Delegation Leaves Switzerland After 18 Hours of Talks

Iran’s delegation left the talks site in Switzerland on Monday and headed back to Tehran after about 18 hours of intensive discussions and consultations, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the meeting produced a joint statement by the two mediators, drafted in coordination and consultation with Iran and the United States. He said one central element was the creation of a supreme committee to monitor implementation of the memorandum of understanding, along with a mechanism to oversee the first clause of the memorandum in Lebanon.

Baghaei added that the sides also agreed to form technical working groups to carry out the memorandum, and that the technical delegations from both sides would continue their work starting Tuesday. He said the discussions also led to steps concerning sales of Iranian oil, the granting of oil export licenses, and the freezing of Iranian assets.

He stressed that the basic principle was “commitment for commitment,” meaning any move by Iran must be matched by the other side honoring its obligations. Baghaei said the opening of negotiations for a final deal depends on implementing the memorandum’s clauses. He also said the American and Iranian delegations presented their positions on the nuclear file during the four-party meeting, but not as part of formal negotiations. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, he said, warned the other side against repeating expansive and unrealistic assumptions about the nuclear issue.