Iran Clarifies Doha Talks with US are Technical, Not Political
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during which he welcomed the progress made in the negotiations with the US and reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation in the Hormuz Strait.A PMO release said that President Pezeshkian briefed the Prime Minister on the recent developments in West Asia and the way forward.PM Modi welcomed the understanding reached and reiterated India’s consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. He reiterated the need for continued efforts to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region and for safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce.In a post on X, PM Modi said that during his conversation with President Pezeshkian, he welcomed the progress made in the negotiations and expressed hope that efforts will lead to lasting peace.”Spoke with the President of Iran, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, on the recent developments in West Asia. Welcomed the progress made in the negotiations and expressed hope that continued efforts will lead to lasting peace in the region. Reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation in the Hormuz Strait for India and the World,” he said.This is the third conversation between the two leaders since the conflict erupted in West Asia on February 28 between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other. The leaders spoke on March 12 and March 21. During the conversations, PM Modi had highlighted India’s priority regarding the safety and well-being of Indian nationals in the region, including in Iran, as also the importance of unhindered transit of energy and goods. He had extended greetings on Navroz and Eid. The talks between the two leaders come days after the virtual signing of a 14-point MoU between the US and Iran, which spells out provisions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as also easing of financial restrictions on Iran.Iran on Tuesday said that the Islamic Republic has “no plans” to hold any meetings with the United States in the coming days at any level, even as diplomatic engagements continue separately in Doha on the related implementation of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in West Asia.Accorging to Iranian state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), speaking at a press briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, said Tehran is not scheduled to meet US officials in the immediate future.”Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days,” the spokesperson said.He clarified that discussions scheduled in Doha are not political negotiations with Washington, but rather technical-level talks linked to the implementation of previously agreed understandings, including issues related to frozen Iranian assets.”What will be done in Doha tomorrow is a discussion on the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side,” he said.
