Khaberni - The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, linked the start of negotiations with the United States on Friday to the implementation of two previously agreed-upon actions: ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
He stated in a post on the X website on Friday that these steps are part of commitments made by the parties, and he highlighted the necessity of not starting the talks before these commitments are fulfilled, amid escalating disputes about the ceasefire terms and the continuing fighting in Lebanon.
The U.S. Vice President, Jay D. Vance, expressed his hope for a "positive" result in the upcoming talks with Iran, as he headed to Islamabad on Friday, while Tehran has not yet announced the schedule or composition of its negotiating team.
Vance told reporters before his plane took off from Andrews Air Force Base near the U.S. capital Washington, "We will try to engage in positive negotiations."
He added, "If the Iranians are ready to negotiate in good faith, we are certainly ready to extend a hand. If they try to manipulate us, they will find that the negotiating team will not welcome that."
Vance is accompanied by Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, and the latter's son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to the White House.
An agreement has been in effect since Tuesday-Wednesday night for a two-week ceasefire between Tehran on one side and Washington and Israel on the other, following a war that lasted about 40 days and erupted after a U.S.-Israeli attack on February 28.
