U.S. Secretary of State: Progress in Iran Talks, Possible Announcement in Coming Days

Odaily Odaily News: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that some progress has been made in the talks with Iran. We may have an announcement regarding Iran in the coming days.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that the core purpose of Pakistani Army Chief of Staff General Asim Munir's visit to Iran was to transmit and exchange specific information between Iran and the United States. He said, "At this stage, all our core focus is on ending this 'imposed war'."

Baghaei indicated that the two sides have conducted several rounds of intensive exchanges of views on the different clauses of the proposal. In-depth discussions have been held on issues where there are serious disagreements. Given the traditionally contradictory stance of the United States, Iran cannot currently assert that a fundamental shift will occur in this negotiation process. He said, "Our perspectives have indeed moved closer, but this does not signify an agreement has been reached; it merely allows us to explore a possible solution."

An Iranian official stated that Iran has reached a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pakistani mediators and is awaiting a response from the United States. The proposal includes: ending the war, lifting the blockade, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and withdrawing U.S. forces from the conflict zone. The nuclear issue is currently excluded and may be discussed after 30 days. The Iranian side indicated that it cannot offer further concessions. (Jinshi Data)