ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) US, Iran agree to hold talks with mediation efforts

ISLAMABAD (Urdu Times) After great efforts and mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, the bitterness between the US and Iran has started to decrease and both countries have agreed to move forward with talks. Although these talks have not yet taken place face to face but have been conducted by sending messages through Pakistan and Qatar, this has created a great hope for peace in the region. Separate meetings have been held between the US and Iranian delegations in the Qatari capital Doha, in which detailed discussions were held on the methods of implementing the fourteen-point interim agreement and memorandum of understanding reached last month. According to the Qatari Foreign Ministry, the next negotiation session will be convened very soon, however, this next meeting will be scheduled only after the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on July 9. The Pakistani Foreign Office has also confirmed the completion of the negotiation process and the convening of the next negotiation session soon. In response to this important development, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state media that the Doha round of talks on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington has been completed and the two sides have agreed to establish a communication channel to monitor violations of the agreement. He also clarified that the situation in Lebanon and Iran’s frozen funds were also discussed in these meetings. He said that in the meetings with Qatari officials and their central bank, a method has also been agreed to use a portion of the initial $6 billion of Iran’s frozen assets, under which Iran will buy and give it the things it needs. On the other hand, responding to the debate within Iran on these talks, Iranian President Masoud Peshmerga has clearly stated that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei did not prevent the government from negotiations, and if he had given such an order, we would certainly have followed it.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has also given positive signals that talks with Iran are moving in the right direction and the progress made on dismantling Iran’s nuclear capability is encouraging. According to the British news agency, the main goal of this whole issue is to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz sea route for ships and end the post-war tensions between the two countries. The report said that Iran’s focus in these talks was on managing the sea route and getting its six billion dollars back, while the US’s goal was to allow commercial and oil ships from around the world to pass through this route without any obstacles. Although these talks have not yet taken place face-to-face, but have been conducted by sending messages through Pakistan and Qatar, this has raised great hopes for peace in the region. Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said that the implementation of the agreement reached with the US is conditional on the fulfillment of five basic clauses. According to him, the agreement cannot be fully implemented without progress on these points. According to CNN, Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said in an interview with state TV that progress on clauses 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 is essential for the implementation of the agreement reached between the US and Iran. According to Baqer Qalibaf, under the first clause, the US and Iran agreed to permanently end military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. Although major military operations between Iran, the US and Israel have stopped, tensions in Lebanon remain. Iran maintains that for a final agreement, Israel must completely withdraw from Lebanon, while Israel is refusing to withdraw without disarming Hezbollah. According to the fourth clause, the US will lift the naval sanctions imposed on Iran, while Iran will restore ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels. The US says it has lifted the naval blockade, but its warships are still in the region. On the other hand, Iran has made permits mandatory for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, due to which maritime traffic could not be fully restored. Under the fifth clause, Iran has agreed not to collect any transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days. Although Iran has not imposed any fees so far, discussions are underway on the possibility of voluntary payments. According to the agreement, no new fees will be applied during the 60-day period. Under the tenth clause of the agreement, the United States has issued a 60-day exemption for the export of Iranian oil, petrochemicals and other petroleum products, which has allowed Iran to sell them in US dollars. Under the eleventh clause, the United States has promised to provide access to frozen Iranian assets, but this issue still remains ambiguous. Baqir Qalibaf says that $12 billion of the $24 billion will be provided to Iran, while US officials maintain that frozen funds will not be released unless Iran fulfills the terms of the agreement. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has also said that the transfer of these funds is subject to final agreement between the US and Iran. On the other hand, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Doha. The meeting discussed the progress in the ongoing talks between the US and Iran, the situation in Lebanon and steps to consolidate the ceasefire there.Iran has announced that senior government and political representatives from 100 countries will attend the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. According to Iranian officials, farewell ceremonies and funeral processions will be held for several days on this occasion, while extraordinary security arrangements have been made. According to Iran’s official news agency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said that heads of state, parliamentary leaders, foreign ministers and special government representatives from various countries will attend the funeral of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The farewell ceremony will begin in Tehran at 8 am on Friday, July 3, while foreign delegations and senior political figures will also participate in condolence ceremonies on the same day. According to him, this ceremony is of extraordinary importance not only for the Iranian people but also for the region, the Muslim world and other nations. According to Iranian officials, the funeral is expected to be attended by official delegations from several countries, including Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, Cuba, Serbia, Tunisia, Congo, Ghana, Namibia, Myanmar, Thailand, Gambia and Nicaragua. Iran is making extraordinary arrangements for the funeral and burial of its former supreme leader. General Ikram said that in view of the arrival of high-ranking officials, religious and political figures from different countries, the number of security forces has been increased. The land, naval and air forces have been put on high alert, surveillance at the borders has been tightened, while the air defense system is monitoring the country’s airspace around the clock to ensure security during the ceremonies. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said during a weekly briefing in Islamabad that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Iran on Friday to attend the funeral prayers of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. He will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other members of the federal cabinet, while the prime minister will also visit Turkey later. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced his visit to Tehran during a joint address in Islamabad last month with Iranian President Masoud Peshkeshian and said that he would meet with the Iranian leadership and express solidarity with the Iranian people. The funeral procession will continue for several days. Farewell ceremonies will be held at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran on July 4 and 5, while the main funeral procession will be taken out in the capital Tehran on July 6. After this, funeral processions will also be held in Qom on July 7 and Mashhad on July 9, where Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza (AS) shrine. After his death, Iran’s Supreme Council appointed his son, Mujtaba Khamenei, as the Supreme Leader. Iran’s announcement of Ali Khamenei’s funeral comes at a time when hopes are high that the US-Iran peace deal brokered by Pakistan is in its final stages and that both countries will soon formally agree on the terms of the deal. On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement on the social networking website ‘X’ that the ongoing talks between the US and Iran have entered a decisive phase and progress in this regard will be revealed in the next 24 hours. Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has said that the Strait of Hormuz falls within the scope of Iran’s sovereignty and any US interference in the security of this waterway will be responded to promptly and decisively. The Iranian military has also instructed commercial ships to adhere to designated shipping lanes.
According to the Iranian news agency, Iran’s top military operational command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, in a statement issued on Thursday, reaffirmed Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and warned the United States that no interference in the security or stability of this important waterway will be tolerated. Iranian officials have warned the United States in strong words that “the Strait of Hormuz is not America’s playground but is under the undisputed sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The security and stability of this important waterway is a red line for Iran’s powerful armed forces.” They added that all oil tankers and commercial ships must follow the sea routes set by Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials warned that if any ship deviates from the designated routes or violates Iran’s navigation protocols, the armed forces will take immediate and effective action, while the safety of the violating ships may also be at risk. According to the statement, Iran has imposed restrictions on transportation in the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war with the United States and Israel, but even after the ceasefire came into effect, Iran has expressed its determination to maintain its sovereignty over this waterway. The military headquarters said that American interference in the security of the Strait of Hormuz or any kind of destructive activity will be considered an act against Iran’s national sovereignty, to which an immediate and decisive response will be given.The ongoing talks in Doha are aimed at further clarifying the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran so that there is no room for misinterpretation or disagreement in the future. According to him, issues such as maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, regional security, nuclear program, easing of sanctions, economic cooperation and frozen assets of Iran are also being considered in the talks. Earlier, the US President, while talking to reporters, said that relations with Iran are progressing positively and his administration is making continuous efforts to establish peace in the region. He once again stressed that Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said during a briefing that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Iran on Friday to attend the funeral prayers of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. He will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other members of the federal cabinet, while the Prime Minister will also visit Turkey later. It may be recalled that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, while announcing his visit to Tehran during a joint address in Islamabad last month with Iranian President Masoud Peshmerga, had said that he would meet with the Iranian leadership and express solidarity with the Iranian people. The funeral procession will continue for several days. Farewell ceremonies will be held at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran on July 4 and 5, while the main funeral procession will be taken out in the capital Tehran on July 6. This will be followed by funeral processions in Qom on July 7 and Mashhad on July 9, where Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza (AS) shrine. According to estimates, 150 to 20 million people from the country and abroad are expected to participate in these funerals, due to which security and traffic arrangements have been increased to an extraordinary level. It should be noted that Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred along with some of his family members on February 28, the first day of the attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. Along with them, several top Iranian military commanders and advisers were also martyred, including Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani and Major General Mohammad Pakpour. Iran has warned the US and Israel that any possible attack or aggression will be met with an immediate and severe response. This warning has come at a time when extraordinary security arrangements are being made in Iran in connection with preparations for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In a statement, Ali Abdullahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned the US and Israel to avoid making false assumptions against Iran. He said that we warn Iran’s enemies not to fall prey to any misunderstanding and to think now about the response that our forces will give in the event of any threat or aggression. The statement called on all Iranian citizens to participate in the ceremonies, calling on them to demonstrate national unity and attend the funeral. Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi issued a similar strong statement. He said that Tehran would respond immediately and forcefully to any threat to the Iranian people or leadership. Abbas Araqchi’s statement came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened that Iran’s current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was also a target of Israel. Iranian media has also released the first video of the funeral vehicle specially prepared for the funeral of the former Supreme Leader. This special funeral vehicle is decorated with the image of the ‘Imam Reza Shrine’. At the end of the farewell ceremonies, the former Supreme Leader will be laid to rest on July 9 at the ‘Imam Reza Shrine’ in his hometown of Mashhad. It should be noted that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was martyred in airstrikes on Iran by the US and Israel on February 28. The funeral will begin on July 4 in Tehran, while the series will end with his burial in Mashhad. During this time, various condolence and memorial ceremonies will also be held in Iran’s holy city of Qom and Iraq. According to Iranian media, security has been tightened across the country during these ceremonies. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization also announced on Wednesday that temporary restrictions will be imposed in the airspace of several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad, to ensure security arrangements.