Iran says Lebanon conflict, frozen assets key issues in US talks

Iran has said that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah will be the central issue in upcoming talks with the United States in Switzerland, alongside discussions on frozen assets and oil export restrictions. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, speaking in a video released by state media outlet IRNA, said Iran considers Israel’s continued violations of commitments in Lebanon as the main topic on the agenda for the negotiations. He added that the talks will also address the release of Iran’s blocked or restricted financial assets, as well as the granting of licenses needed to facilitate Iranian oil sales. Separately, Hojjatoleslam Abdollah Haji Sadeghi, a senior representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said negotiations with the US are not Tehran’s preferred approach. In comments shared on Telegram, he stated that Iran would enter any dialogue with both strength and caution, but would not adopt a passive stance. He further said Iran’s “primary path” remains resistance-based action rather than diplomacy alone, stressing that Tehran is not concerned about the possibility of talks failing and did not enter negotiations out of weakness or desperation. Bürgenstock hosts first US-Iran talks after Islamabad MoU signing