Iran and U.S. Agree to Form Four Working Groups on Nuclear Issues and Sanctions

An Iranian woman waves the national flag in Tehran's Vali Asr Square on June 15, 2026. [Photo=AFP/Yonhap]

Iran and the United States have agreed to establish four working negotiation groups to address nuclear issues, sanctions, and reconstruction efforts.
According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, announced that the negotiation teams will focus on sanctions relief, nuclear matters, reconstruction and economic development, and monitoring and enforcement, following a follow-up meeting on the implementation of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Islamabad.
Gharibabadi stated, "According to the agreement reached, future negotiations will be conducted under the supervision of a high-level committee that includes the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, the Foreign Minister, the U.S. Vice President, and the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and Qatar."
A separate consultation mechanism will also be established to address issues in the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon. Gharibabadi explained, "In accordance with the agreement of the high-level committee and the final statement from the previous night's discussions, a communication channel will be set up among the MOU participant countries for the safe navigation of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, an organization will be formed to prevent conflicts in Lebanon among the MOU participant countries and Pakistan and Qatar." He added, "The technical representatives from the four countries will oversee and guide the activities of each working group and the two organizations, reporting to the high-level committee."
Subsequent measures regarding sanctions relief and the unfreezing of assets were also discussed. Gharibabadi noted, "In the technical discussions, agreements were made to issue general licenses for the sale of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products, petroleum products, and all related services, as well as to implement subsequent measures for the unfreezing of assets."
IRNA reported that the U.S. has issued general licenses for the sale of Iranian crude oil, petrochemical products, petroleum products, and related services, with this information posted on the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) website. Furthermore, an agreement to unfreeze $12 billion in assets, consisting of two transactions of $6 billion each, is set to enter the implementation phase immediately.

* This article has been translated by AI.