Iran-US technical talks not scheduled for this week: Iran's deputy FM

TEHRAN -- A senior Iranian diplomat said on Monday technical talks between the working groups of Iran and the United States were not scheduled for this week, according to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in an address to reporters, rejecting media reports that technical talks would be held in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday.

However, Gharibabadi, who heads Iran's delegation in the technical negotiations, said consultations were continuing with Qatar on relevant issues, including pursuing the US fulfilment of obligations under the recently signed peace memorandum of understanding (MoU).

On June 22, the technical negotiations between Iran and the United States began in Switzerland following high-level consultations between Iranian and US delegations the previous day with the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar.

In an interview with state-run IRIB TV on Sunday, Mehdi Fazaeli, a member of the Office of Preservation and Publication of the Works of the Iran's Supreme Leader, said the technical negotiations between Iran and the United States had been scheduled to begin on the same day, but were canceled by the Iranian side.

He said Iran made the decision due to US strikes against the country over the preceding two nights, and Washington's delay in meeting some of Tehran's conditions under the MoU.