Agreement reached on the roadmap, concerns raised over "Israeli sabotage," US-Iran talks lasted 18 hours and "made progress"

【Global Times Special Correspondents in the U.S. Xiao Da, Wang Yi, Zhang Xueyi】In the early hours of the 22nd local time, after 18 hours of difficult negotiations, the Iranian and American delegations suddenly reached an agreement after the Iranian side briefly "walked out in protest." Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian stated on social media that, with the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar, significant progress had been made in ending the conflict in Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei also stated that Iran and the U.S. had reached an agreement document, and the relevant text would be released by the two mediators, Qatar and Pakistan. On the same day, Qatar and Pakistan issued a joint statement saying that the Iran-U.S. negotiations "were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, achieving encouraging progress, including the establishment of a mechanism for further technical negotiations." The international community generally welcomed the "constructive progress" made in the first round of direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The Washington Post reported that, despite the agreement reached, subsequent negotiations still face challenges, with the core issue of the Iranian nuclear problem remaining unresolved, as well as challenges from Israeli attacks on Lebanon and domestic backlash in the U.S. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiajun stated on the 22nd that China supports the mediation efforts made by Pakistan, Qatar, and others, hoping that both Iran and the U.S. will maintain the momentum of negotiations, continue to move towards each other, and strive for positive progress in the talks.

"Today felt very long"

In the early hours of the 22nd, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian stated on social media that Iran's "oil and petrochemical product exports have been exempted, the blockade has been lifted, some assets have been unfrozen, and a major reconstruction and development plan for Iran has been initiated." He emphasized: "The first real test: the Lebanon conflict elimination group."

Iran's Mehr News Agency reported on the 22nd that the Swiss negotiations were the first face-to-face diplomatic talks between Iran and the U.S. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei stated that the U.S. and Iran discussed "the groundwork for initiating final agreement negotiations." All parties agreed that the technical teams would continue to work on issues necessary for the effective implementation of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding. The U.S. and Iran also discussed topics such as the Iranian oil sales license and the unfreezing of Iranian assets, making good progress, and both sides agreed to establish a mechanism for the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. He said that both sides agreed to have the mediators assist in establishing a conflict elimination group to ensure the termination of military actions in Lebanon. Baghaei stated that the work of the Iranian negotiation team at this stage has been completed, and the relevant text will be released by the two mediators, Qatar and Pakistan, but the technical team will continue its work on Tuesday.

Regarding the preliminary agreement reached after 18 hours of difficult negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, Baghaei remarked: "In a sense, today felt very long." He said, "The talks lasted 18 hours, during which the U.S. issued a threatening statement, leading to a disruption of the talks." He emphasized that it was the intervention of the mediators, Qatar and Pakistan, that maintained the progress of the talks, but ultimately the discussions "continued in a non-quadrilateral format."

Subsequently, Qatar and Pakistan issued a joint statement announcing that based on the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding, all parties agreed to establish a high-level committee responsible for overseeing the entire negotiation process. The high-level committee has reached a consensus on a roadmap for the U.S. and Iran to reach a final agreement within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate initiation of the next technical negotiations. The statement also mentioned that the chief negotiators of both sides would regularly report to the high-level committee and lead working groups on nuclear issues and sanctions, as well as oversee and resolve disputes to ensure the effective implementation of the memorandum of understanding.

According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, after the conclusion of the first round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, a delegation led by Iranian Islamic Consultative Assembly Speaker Ghalibaf left Switzerland and returned to Iran. Starting from the 22nd, an Iranian team led by Deputy Foreign Minister Karibabadi began subsequent technical talks with the U.S. side in Switzerland.

"In line with the common expectations of the international community"

According to Iran's Mehr News Agency on the 22nd, after the first round of negotiations, the Iranian negotiation team stated that the agreement reached has five key points, including establishing a monitoring mechanism to ensure a ceasefire in Lebanon; setting up a hotline to ensure the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz; and that Iran will only enter the final stage of negotiations after the implementation of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding regarding ceasefire on all fronts, lifting the maritime blockade, unfreezing Iranian frozen assets, and issuing exemptions for sanctions on Iranian oil, among other contents...

"A milestone agreement." Al Jazeera reported on the 22nd that this agreement is seen as a good start towards peace. However, the report noted that a major challenge facing the agreement is the Lebanon issue, as the U.S. and Iran will establish a "Lebanon conflict elimination group," but specific measures remain unclear.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 22nd welcoming the "constructive progress" made in the U.S.-Iran negotiations and expressing readiness to support the subsequent process. The statement said that establishing a high-level committee based on the memorandum of understanding is "a positive step" that will help plan the next phase of the political and technical process.

On the 22nd, Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, met with Nezami Pour, Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in New Delhi. Nezami Pour briefed on the situation in the Middle East and the latest developments in the U.S.-Iran negotiations, expressing heartfelt gratitude for China's insistence on mediation and peace, and looking forward to China continuing to play an important role in promoting the effective implementation of the first phase of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding.

Wang Yi stated that China welcomes the U.S. and Iran's initiation of follow-up consultations on the memorandum of understanding with the assistance of Pakistan and Qatar, and reaching a consensus on the next negotiation mechanism. The 14 core provisions of the memorandum of understanding are hard-won, clearly proposing an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities, no longer using or threatening to use force, mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and avoiding interference in each other's internal affairs. These contents reflect the spirit of equality, align with the purposes of the United Nations Charter, and conform to the norms of international relations. Maintaining and implementing the memorandum of understanding will help consolidate the hard-won ceasefire situation, open up new prospects for Iran-U.S. relations, and bring peace back to the Middle East, which not only aligns with the fundamental interests of the Iranian nation and state but also meets the common expectations of the international community.

Wang Yi stated that as a comprehensive strategic partner of Iran, China always upholds a just position, supports all efforts conducive to peace, supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and national dignity, supports Iran in improving relations with Gulf countries and regional nations, and is willing to continue to provide assistance in its own way, playing a constructive role in restoring peace and stability in the region as soon as possible.

Subsequent negotiations will be "very difficult"

"The Trump administration faced new challenges after reaching an agreement with Iran." The Washington Post reported on the 21st that the U.S. government's efforts to reach a permanent agreement with Iran will encounter significant resistance, as Israel insists on continuing attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, and many within the Republican Party criticize the U.S. government for making too many concessions to reach an agreement. These challenges highlight the arduousness of reaching a permanent agreement between the U.S. and Iran, especially as the core issue of the Iranian nuclear problem remains unresolved.

Spain's El País stated that the implementation of this agreement is far more difficult than what Trump promised. Israel may undermine this agreement through war against Hezbollah. U.S. intelligence agencies have also warned that Israel is likely to attempt to sabotage the agreement.

Al Jazeera quoted analysis from Warwick, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council, stating that the upcoming follow-up negotiations between the U.S. and Iran will be "very difficult" and may take longer than the 60-day negotiation period. Warwick noted that the biggest challenge in the next round of negotiations remains the Iranian nuclear issue, with Washington demanding "to play a role in diluting Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, which may mean that Americans will enter some of Iran's most sensitive nuclear facilities," adding, "I cannot imagine Iran agreeing to that." Warwick also stated that it is equally "very difficult" for the U.S. to lift economic sanctions on Iran, as "the U.S. Congress is very dissatisfied with this agreement, and it is currently completely unclear whether Congress will agree to lift sanctions on Iran."