Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that talks with the United States on a final agreement covering Tehran's nuclear programme will likely begin on Friday."Likely on Friday, at a location to be determined a new round of negotiations between Iran and the United States to reach a final agreement will begin," Araghchi said in a briefing with foreign diplomats broadcast on state television.

Araghchi said that ending the war in Lebanon was the "most important issue" in the peace deal with the United States announced the day before."The important point I want to emphasise here is that in our view, there are two parties to this memorandum -- one side is America and Israel, and the other side is Iran and Hezbollah," said Araghchi.

"This is perhaps the most important issue in the memorandum -- the declaration of an immediate and permanent end to the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon," he said. The United States said that ships will move toll-free through the Strait of Hormuz under an Iran peace deal signed by President Donald Trump, and insisted Tehran would have to fulfill its commitments before getting any economic benefits. 

They included a possible $300 billion reconstruction fund for the war-battered country, but the release of funds will be "tied to performance," a senior Trump administration official said in a call with reporters. Trump, US Vice-President JD Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf electronically signed the the memorandum of understanding (MoU) Sunday, the officials said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)