Kamal Ghorui
Iran has stated that it will only begin negotiations with the United States once a ceasefire is declared in Lebanon and Tehran’s frozen assets are released, the country’s parliament speaker announced.Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the two steps had been mutually agreed upon earlier but remained unfulfilled. He further added that they must be implemented before any talks can move forward.“Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he said.Tehran had earlier accused the US of violating three clauses of Iran’s 10-point proposal even before negotiations, including the Lebanon ceasefire, an intruding drone downed over Fars Province, and the denial of uranium enrichment rights. He described these as part of a “deep historical distrust” pattern, rendering further ceasefire efforts unreasonable until addressed.Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami echoed this, insisting enrichment rights are essential despite US opposition. This follows a two-week truce hailed by both sides on Tuesday, marred by subsequent strikes, as Israel intensified deadly assaults on Hezbollah in Beirut, killing 182 on Wednesday.
