Rubio says technical group on Iran will reconvene next week

The technical group on Iran will reconvene next week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday.

“Well, the technical group will be back, I believe, on the 29th or the 30th,” Rubio told reporters in Kuwait. “I believe they’re going back to Switzerland, if I’m not mistaken. So, but either way, the technical group will reconvene again on, I believe it’s the 30th.”

Rubio is on a three-day tour of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain from June 23-25 to discuss the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. In Bahrain, Rubio will also meet the Gulf Cooperation Council to discuss shared priorities across the region.

He said the technical talks are at the staff level.

“There’s individuals from the State Department that will be involved in those talks, along with people from the Department of Energy, and so forth. That’s what the technical level is,” he said.

Earlier Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the technical-level talks will resume next week, following a temporary pause.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” which is intended to pave the way for ending the war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran on Feb. 28.

Under the memorandum, Washington and Tehran are due to hold negotiations for 60 days, with the possibility of an extension, aimed at reaching a final agreement covering Iran’s nuclear program and international sanctions.

Rubio said that the US expects Iran to comply with its obligations under the interim deal.

“This is a temporary measure; it’s for 60 days, and as a result, we expect them to live up to the commitments they make in Switzerland.

“If they don’t live up to those commitments, the president has options at his disposal, including I’m not saying he’s going to do it, I’m saying, including reversing these sanctions,” he added.

The US is prepared to move forward with the agreement if Iran complies, said Rubio.

“The president has been very clear — they need to keep those commitments. If they do, we’ll keep forward. If not, the president will have options at his disposal for what to do about it. Let’s hope they keep those commitments,” he added.

Asked about conventional capabilities that Iran is going to be able to retain, Rubio said the US is not going to do anything that undermines the security of its allies in the region.

Turning to Lebanon, Rubio said the US hopes that the legitimate and sovereign Lebanese government will continue to be able to control and secure “more and more of their own territory.”

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