New crisis between the US and Iran

Ali Bahreini, Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, stated that the reconciliation talks with the US are progressing positively. Bahreini reported that significant progress has been made in technical-level contacts and announced that two separate expert groups will be formed in the coming days. The main agenda of these groups will be the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran and the scope of the country's nuclear activities.

At the meeting held last week in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, it was stated that the two sides had reached an agreement on a roadmap for permanent peace following an interim agreement. In the negotiations, which are also being mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, the goal is to reach a final treaty within 60 days. The US administration, meanwhile, announced after the first round of talks that some sanctions against Iran have been temporarily suspended for 60 days starting from Monday.

On the other hand, comments by US Vice President JD Vance that "the released Iranian funds will be controlled by the US and Qatar and that this money could be used for the purchase of American agricultural products" were rejected by Iran. Vance had stated that this proposal was brought to the agenda by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump.

Ali Bahreini, in his press conference in Geneva, clearly opposed these claims, stating, "The only country that will decide what to do with the assets to be released is Iran." Bahreini also underlined that they do not accept the involvement of other countries in Iran's financial decision-making processes.

It is known that the frozen funds originate largely from oil revenues held abroad and Central Bank reserves. Under the initial agreement, an amount of approximately 12 billion dollars is expected to be returned to Iran. It was stated that some of these assets are still in Qatar and that cooperation with Washington and Doha could be carried out within the framework of technical arrangements. However, the Iranian representative emphasized that this cooperation would not mean foreign interference in the use of the funds, and that expenditures and imports would be determined entirely by Iran's will.

In his statement, Bahreini said, "The process of commodity procurement and imports is a matter that Iran, and only Iran, will decide." The Tehran administration reiterated that it is the sole authority regarding which areas it will direct these resources to if its billions of dollars in assets, which have been blocked abroad as a result of years of sanctions, are released.

The working groups to be formed in the coming period are expected to play a critical role in both removing obstacles related to sanctions and detailing mutual expectations regarding the nuclear program. The course of the negotiations is being followed closely not only for the region but also in terms of global diplomacy and energy markets.

News Source: 12punto