US, Iran to meet Friday at Buergenstock: Swiss Foreign Ministry

Geneva: The United States and Iran still plan to meet on Friday in the Buergenstock mountain resort in Switzerland for initial negotiations on the implementation of their agreement, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Switzerland welcomes the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran, said the statement, calling the signing an important step toward de-escalation in the region.

The statement said no further information can be provided at this time regarding the agenda and details of this meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday mounted an aggressive defence of his Iran agreement, portraying it as a historic diplomatic achievement that prevented a wider Middle East war, reopened the Strait of Hormuz and permanently blocked Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Speaking at a lengthy news conference after the G7 summit in France, Trump repeatedly described the agreement as a breakthrough made possible by a combination of military force and diplomacy.

“On Sunday, we reached an agreement with Iran that achieves everything we set out to accomplish — everything and much more,” Trump said.

“Ending the current conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, that’s what it was all about.”

Trump argued that continued military action would have prolonged instability in the Gulf and disrupted global energy markets.

He also signalled that the United States could accept a civilian nuclear programme in Iran under certain circumstances, offering one of his clearest indications yet of how Washington may approach the next phase of negotiations with Tehran.

Asked whether Iran could continue a civilian nuclear programme if it complied with the new agreement, Trump acknowledged the complexity of the issue.

“Well, I’ve said to them always, I say, look, you have probably the third largest oil reserves in the world, what the hell do you need nuclear for?” Trump said.

“You need nuclear for some electricity.”

Trump said he has long questioned Tehran’s argument that its nuclear programme is intended solely for civilian energy production because of the country’s vast oil and gas reserves.

IANS