politics
US-Iran Talks End First Round as Part of Deal to End War and Lift Sanctions
US Vice President JD Vance told reporters Monday that any unfrozen Iranian assets would require US and Qatari approval. The initial negotiations at Burgenstock mark the start of a two-month period under a preliminary deal to end the February war.
jpost.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
US Vice President JD Vance said Monday that any unfrozen Iranian assets would require approval from both the United States and Qatar. He spoke to reporters at Switzerland's Burgenstock resort after the first round of talks with Iranian negotiators concluded early that day.
The discussions form the initial phase of a two-month negotiating period set out in a preliminary agreement reached last week, Al-Monitor reported.
That agreement aims to end the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. The memorandum of understanding commits Washington to eventually terminate all sanctions on Tehran and release frozen or restricted Iranian funds and assets. Media reports have estimated those assets at between $100 billion and $123 billion.
Vance attributed criticism of the unfreezing provision to misreporting. He said US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, along with Qatar, devised a mechanism to direct the funds toward American farmers and the Iranian people. Qatar and Pakistan mediated the talks.
Iran has been subject to asset freezes and sweeping sanctions by the United States and other Western countries since its 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Vance stated that the arrangement would make American farmers richer, feed the Iranian people, and support the regional security architecture.
