Diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the United States are gaining momentum as both countries work toward a preliminary agreement, according to three Iranian sources and a European official who spoke to Reuters on Thursday. The discussions continue despite ongoing tensions and recent military actions by both nations, with talks centered on creating a system for unfreezing Iranian assets.
According to the sources, Iran and the United States continue to communicate through intermediaries about the specifics of a potential memorandum of understanding, even as confrontations persist between the two governments.
The Iranian sources indicated that while a basic political agreement has been established, several details still require further negotiation. Chief among these is developing a process for releasing tens of billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenues that have been frozen in international banking institutions.
“Iran wants $6 billion to $12 billion of its frozen funds to be released to Tehran, while Washington wants to release funds in stages for humanitarian goods and rejects returning funds to Iran outright,” said one of the Iranian sources.
According to the Iranian sources, the clerical establishment’s main concern for its continued existence is not achieving a complete resolution but rather establishing a structure that would provide essential relief by accessing frozen resources and bringing an end to current hostilities.
