Iran Considers Suspending Technical Talks with US After Sirik Strike

Iranian negotiators are reportedly evaluating the possibility of suspending technical talks with the United States, which were scheduled to take place in Switzerland, after a US strike targeted the Sirik region in southern Iran early on Saturday morning.

The news agency Iran Nuance, affiliated with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated on its official X account that Iranian negotiators are considering canceling the technical discussions in Switzerland following the early morning US strike on Sirik in southern Iran.

It further noted that the Iranian side views the blatant violation of Article 1 of the memorandum of understanding as warranting a response in the form of halting negotiations.

Abbas Aslani, a member of the Iranian negotiation team's media group, confirmed the agency's report, adding that Iran is reviewing the possibility of suspending the talks. He described the US attack as a breach of Article 1 of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.

According to reports, Iranian negotiators believe that the appropriate response to what they call a "clear violation" of the agreement should be to stop the negotiation process. However, no official statement has yet been issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry regarding a final decision to suspend the talks.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the US-Iran technical negotiation team will hold a new meeting next week, likely hosted by Switzerland.

During comments to journalists in Kuwait, Rubio said the technical team is expected to meet on June 29 or 30. He expressed his belief that the next round will once again take place in Switzerland.

Rubio explained that the discussions are conducted at the expert level, involving officials from the US State Department as well as representatives from the Department of Energy and several other relevant government bodies.