Qalibaf: There are no negotiations at the moment; the talks are for the implementation of the memorandum of understanding

Kabul Times News | Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, emphasized that Tehran has not entered into new negotiations at the moment, saying that the current talks are aimed at implementing the provisions of an memorandum of understanding and that new talks will not begin until the initial five clauses of the memorandum are implemented.

Referring to the Iranian delegation’s visit to Switzerland, Qalibaf stated that the trip was made to follow up on the implementation of the five agreed clauses, not to start new talks. According to him, the negotiation phase before signing the memorandum of understanding has ended and now the focus is on implementing the other party’s commitments.

Referring to the relations between Tehran and Washington, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament also described the United States as a “perpetual enemy” and said that any talks with this country should be conducted taking this reality into account. He added: “Someone can have successful negotiations who is also ready for war.”

In another part of his speech, Qalibaf addressed the situation in Lebanon and said that after the Iranian delegation’s visit to Switzerland, the trend of conflicts, the volume of attacks, and the number of victims in Lebanon have decreased, although, according to him, there are still problems in this regard. He also emphasized that the evaluation of the agreements should be based on the views of Lebanese officials, including Sheikh Naim Qassem, and the Lebanese people.

Referring to the differences of views in the US government, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament also claimed that American officials do not have a unified approach to issues related to Iran and each pursues a different policy.

He also said about the Strait of Hormuz that the sovereignty of this waterway is divided between Iran and Oman and that the regulations related to the passage of ships are based on mechanisms determined by Iran. Qalibaf added that Tehran is also consulting and exchanging views with the coastal countries of the Persian Gulf in this regard.

He concluded by announcing that since the lifting of the naval blockade, more than 40 million barrels of oil have been exported from Iran.

Kabul Times News cannot independently verify the accuracy of some of the claims made by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, including oil export statistics and the impact of the Iranian delegation's visit on reducing conflicts in Lebanon.
Reporting by Samiullah Jahesh