DUBAI: Iranian officials said Tuesday that implementation of key provisions of a recently agreed memorandum of understanding (MoU) must be completed before negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program and the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can begin.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said five parts of the MoU still needed to be fully implemented before talks on the nuclear dossier could move forward.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said parties to the agreement were working to achieve all of its clauses before starting negotiations on the nuclear issue.
Baghaei also said Tehran had no plans to allow the IAEA to inspect nuclear facilities damaged during last year’s war with Israel and the United States.
“We have not had a meeting with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor do we have any plans for the agency to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities damaged by the US and Zionist military aggression,” he said.
On Monday, US Vice President JD Vance said Iran would allow UN nuclear inspectors to return, calling it “a major milestone.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would be administered by Tehran following talks aimed at ending the conflict with the United States and Israel.
“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law,” Ghalibaf said, according to state media.
Ghalibaf said talks held in Switzerland produced “good achievements,” including discussions on the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon, oil sanctions waivers and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Iravani said the waterway remained open and free of charges for now, but warned that the situation after 60 days would depend on the outcome of negotiations.
According to the ambassador, discussions regarding the Strait of Hormuz would primarily take place between Iran and Oman, with parallel talks involving other parties to the MoU.
The Iranian envoy also warned that Tehran would respond if Israel violated the agreement in any way, including through attacks on Lebanon or the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
- With Agencies
