politics
U.S. Secretary of State to Meet Gulf Officials on Ceasefire and Security
The secretary will hold talks Tuesday and Wednesday with officials from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain. Discussions will cover security commitments and the 60-day ceasefire reached with Iran last week.
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The U.S. secretary of state will meet officials from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss security commitments and the 60-day ceasefire reached with Iran last week. The three countries host major U.S. military bases and sustained Iranian missile strikes during the conflict that began on 28 February.
Officials have not released detailed assessments of the damage.
Under the agreement, Iran is set to receive roughly $6 billion in previously frozen assets held in Qatar plus an additional $6 billion repayable loan from Doha. The U.S. Treasury issued a sanctions waiver on Monday allowing Iran to export oil, with payments permitted in dollars.
Shipping data recorded 36 vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the highest daily total since 1 March. Iran’s chief negotiator met the Sultan of Oman the same day to discuss long-term management of the waterway.
Qatar mediated the ceasefire, while the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain have expressed concern that unfrozen funds could support Iranian military programs. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson stated the country will document and seek accountability for alleged assistance provided to U.S. operations.
Iran’s central bank governor said the memorandum of understanding does not require purchases of U.S. goods and that buying decisions will follow quality and price considerations. Iran also rejected claims that the UN nuclear inspectorate had received approval to visit damaged sites.
>"We have neither met with Grossi nor do we have any plans for the agency to inspect the damaged nuclear facilities resulting from the aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime. " — Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, state department briefing The ceasefire text refers to an “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” language that appears to extend beyond the separate U.S.-backed Israel-Lebanon truce reached in early June.
