At a time when US President Donald Trump hinted that talks with Iran might lead to an agreement by the end of this week, despite Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s announcement that the talks had stopped for the time being, informed sources revealed the details of the interim agreement that formed the focus of the negotiation between Washington and Tehran.
The sources explained to Al Arabiya on Thursday that the mechanism for implementing the proposed agreement, which begins with calm and ends with addressing the nuclear file, was divided into four successive stages, so that the transition from one stage to another is linked to the commitment of both parties to implement the agreed-upon pledges.
According to the sources, the first phase includes stabilizing the existing ceasefire, stopping direct military operations, and preventing any escalation or opening new fronts in the region.
The sources confirmed that Tehran insists that the understandings include the Lebanese arena, and that they are not bypassed in any future arrangements.
The second phase focuses on the security of international navigation and the Strait of Hormuz, and includes fully reopening this vital waterway, removing restrictions imposed on ships, and establishing security arrangements for sea lanes and power lines, in light of the concerned parties’ awareness of the sensitivity of this issue and its direct repercussions on the global economy.
In the third stage, the two parties move to economic confidence-building measures, which include a limited and deliberate easing of some sanctions, the release of part of the frozen Iranian funds, in addition to providing facilities related to oil exports and trade exchange.
The sources confirmed that the Iranian side considers this stage essential to prove the seriousness of any agreement and achieve a rapid economic breakthrough.
The fourth stage, which is the most complex, includes the major strategic files, most notably the Iranian nuclear program, uranium enrichment levels, international oversight and guarantee mechanisms, as well as long-term regional security arrangements.
Estimates indicated that this stage may take months of negotiations, given the complexity of the files and the existing disputes surrounding them.
These data come after Trump confirmed, on Wednesday, that the talks with Iran may lead to results “by the end of this week,” without ruling out their failure.
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile constitutes a major axis in the ongoing talks between the two countries under Pakistani sponsorship, stressing that Tehran has not yet agreed to conclude a peace agreement.
On the other hand, the Iranian side stressed that no progress had been made in the negotiation process, while the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that channels of communication with the United States were still open, but without achieving any tangible progress to end the war.
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives also approved a resolution ordering the withdrawal of US forces from the war against Iran, in a political setback for Trump since the outbreak of this conflict on February 28.
