An Iranian official explained that Tehran was sending a negotiating team to Qatar for indirect talks with the US about implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
“What will probably be done in Doha tomorrow is a discussion on the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the clause related to the release of Iran’s restricted assets with the Qatari parties,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday. “Therefore, I emphasize that we have not planned any meeting with the American side at any level for the next few days.”
Earlier in June, the US and Iran signed an MOU that laid the framework for a peace agreement to end the conflict. Point 11 of the MOU states, “The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use, the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran upon the implementation of this MOU.”
Iran claims to have $100 billion in assets held in other countries that Tehran cannot access because of US sanctions. Iranian officials have demanded that the US release $24 billion as part of an agreement to end the war, including $12 billion for signing the MOU.
Iran has offered to downblend its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to fuel grade in exchange for further sanctions relief from the US.
Washington claims it will receive only a limited portion of its frozen funds for signing the MOU. President Donald Trump said that $6 billion in Iranian assets will be used to buy American crops for Iran.
On Tuesday, a US official told The New Post that the White House has not released any frozen assets and that any sanctions relief will come only after Iran meets “benchmarks.” “No frozen funds have been released and no frozen funds will be released unless Iran meets the requirements outlined in the MOU,” the person said. “Nothing is given for free and everything is tied to benchmarks.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that negotiations on a final peace agreement will not resume until the US implements the MOU, including point 11.
