Iran's FM says talks with US on final agreement to begin Friday

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations between Iran and the United States on a final agreement will begin on Friday following the two sides official signing of a memorandum of understanding MoU to end the war according to the official news agency IRNAAraghchi made the remarks at a meeting with foreign diplomats in the Iranian capital Tehran while elaborating on the peace MoU that was finalised on Sunday between Iran and the United States Xinhua news agency reportedThe new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States on reaching a final agreement will probably begin on Friday at the venue that will be decided he said explaining that owing to the difficulties in reaching an agreement between Iran and the United States that resulted from the US and Israeli criminal aggression against the country we ultimately decided to divide the negotiations into two stagesHe said the first stage pertained to the finalisation of an MoU on issues such as the wars end the Strait of Hormuz US antiIran naval blockade Iranian frozen assets and the reconstruction of war damages adding that in the second stage negotiations will continue for a 60day period to reach a final agreement on nuclear issues and the removal of sanctions on IranAraghchi noted that in the first stage the most important thing that will happen is the declaration of an end to the war stressing Based on the decision we made the end of the war was also announced on Monday morning when the agreement was finalized but the official start of the MoU will be on FridayThe minister said the immediate and permanent end of the war on all fronts including Lebanon is perhaps the most important issue in the MoU noting that owing to the connection that the war in Lebanon and Israels aggression against southern Lebanon found with the war against Iran and the fact that the two fronts became somehow connected to and dependent on each otherAraghchi described the wars end in Lebanon as an inseparable part of the IranUS peace MoU stressing The wars end also includes the end of Israels occupation The wars end is not complete without the Israeli forces withdrawal from the Lebanese territories they occupied in this warAraghchi emphasised that from now on Iran considers any military attack by Israel against Lebanon and the continued occupation of the Lebanese territories a violation of the peace MoUThe United States Pakistan and Iran early Monday announced the finalisation of the MoU on ending the war following weeks of negotiations adding that it will be officially signed in Switzerland on FridayOn February 28 Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region