Iran's Parliament Speaker Sets 'Preconditions' Ahead of US Talks

Ahead of substantive dialogue with the United States, Iran's Parliament Speaker is demanding that two conditions must be resolved first. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, has set a ceasefire in the Lebanon region and the release of frozen Iranian assets as preconditions. Ghalibaf made these demands via his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 10th local time, stating, "This is part of the promises made between the parties. Negotiations should not start until they are fulfilled."

Iran and the United States entered a two-week ceasefire on the 8th, mediated by Pakistan, and agreed to hold peace talks in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, on the 11th.

Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, insists that Lebanon should be included in the ceasefire and that the U.S. must ensure Israel halts its airstrikes on Lebanon. The United States and Israel maintain their stance that Lebanon should be excluded from the ceasefire.