WANA (Jun 21) – A member of Iran’s negotiating delegation has outlined the progress made during today’s talks, saying the primary focus was on implementing Article 13 of the memorandum of understanding, which calls for the necessary preparations to begin negotiations on the agreement’s remaining provisions.

 

Hossein Ghorbanzadeh, a member of the Iranian negotiating team, said the preparatory measures concern five key articles of the memorandum: Articles 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11. According to him, Article 1 addresses the end of the war on all fronts, Article 4 concerns lifting the blockade, Article 5 focuses on reopening the strait, Article 10 provides for temporary sanctions exemptions for oil and petroleum products, and Article 11 covers the release of Iran’s frozen assets and blocked funds.

 

Ghorbanzadeh stated that Article 1 was the most important issue discussed during today’s negotiations. He noted that Lebanon received greater attention than any other topic during bilateral, multilateral, and the main session—which remains ongoing—because it is considered one of the principal fronts where an end to the conflict must be declared.

 

He stressed that if progress is not achieved on the Lebanon issue, other provisions of the memorandum will not move into the negotiation and implementation phases. The matter, he said, was strongly emphasized by the Iranian delegation and its head, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, adding that the team hopes the outcome of ongoing efforts will become clear by the end of today’s meeting.

 

Regarding other provisions of the memorandum, Ghorbanzadeh said experts held side meetings to discuss implementation details. He added that the Qatari delegation participated in discussions related to Article 11, covering the release of Iranian assets and the mechanisms for carrying out the process, with negotiations still continuing.

 

Ghorbanzadeh also announced that a draft related to Article 10 has been finalized. He said the draft for temporary sanctions exemptions on oil and petroleum products is complete and that the exemption is expected to be issued and implemented in the near future.

 

It is worth noting that following Trump’s threats, the Iranian team left the negotiation venue and is currently at the hotel.