It seemed to have started badly and continued even worse, but in the end something good happened in Lucerne, Switzerland, with openings – it is not known how definitive – on both sides. US Vice President J.D. Vance announced yesterday Iran approves return of IAEA inspectors, "a milestone to reach a nuclear agreement." In parallel, the US Treasury Department has sanctions on Iranian oil liftedAs part of the interim agreement to end the war, the department issued a 60-day license, lifting sanctions and authorizing the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil; it will be valid until August 21.
The talks laid “a solid foundation for reaching a positive final agreement,” commented Vance, who, together with Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, left Buergenstock after a marathon 18-hour meeting.
The technical discussions in Switzerland subsequently concluded with the establishment of four working groups "focusing on sanctions relief, nuclear weapons, reconstruction and economic development of Iran, as well as a monitoring group," Kazem Gharibabadi, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and legal expert, told the IRNA news agency.
Iran: "Hormuz will be administered by us"
A sore point could be the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran reiterated its desire to maintain control. Ghalibaf reiterated that the conditions in the Strait of Hormuz they will not return to pre-war levels and that the navigable way will remain “administered by Iran”, according to the Irna news agency.
$12 billion in frozen Iranian assets released
Another important concession by the US concerns the “immediate” release of 12 billion of dollars of Iranian assets frozen, "in two tranches of 6 billion". The news is reported by Al-Jazeera and other media in the region.
Rubio in the Gulf today
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio will begin a visit to three Gulf countries today, as part of negotiations with Iran to end the war in the Middle East. According to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigot, during the visits to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and BahrainRubio will discuss the Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, efforts to ensure fully free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and the importance of peace and stability in the region.
