The first round of talks between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland concluded on Monday, with both sides agreeing on a roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement within 60 days, Reuters reported.
According to a joint statement issued by mediators Qatar and Pakistan, technical negotiations will continue throughout the week at the Qatari-owned Swiss mountain resort of Buergenstock.
The statement said the two sides agreed on mechanisms to help end fighting in Lebanon and established a communication channel to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the disputed Strait of Hormuz.
US Vice President JD Vance reportedly opened the discussions with Iranian officials on Sunday under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached last week to extend a fragile ceasefire that began in April for another 60 days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a social media post that Tehran had secured waivers allowing oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen assets, and the launch of a reconstruction and development plan for Iran.
The White House had not immediately commented on whether the talks had formally concluded.
Before the negotiations began, Fox News reported that US President Donald Trump warned Iranian officials that “you won’t have a country” if Tehran attempted to close the Strait of Hormuz again.
Trump also repeated his earlier threat that the United States could take control of the strategic waterway and potentially impose its own toll system, according to the report.
US and Iranian sources provided different accounts of the discussions held in Switzerland.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing an informed source, reported that after Trump’s remarks became public, the Iranian delegation refused to return to the negotiating room. However, communications reportedly continued through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
The source said Iran insisted that progress on nuclear-related issues depended on the implementation of other parts of the MoU, including the release of frozen assets and US waivers permitting Iranian oil exports.
A US diplomat involved in the talks told Reuters that the Iranian delegation remained engaged in negotiations late into the night.
“We’ve talked about the Strait, Lebanon, nuclear issues, and details of implementing the MoU, among other topics,” the diplomat said.
A US official said high-level discussions were expected to conclude on Monday, while technical teams would remain to continue further negotiations.
The agreement reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments, and ending hostilities, including in Lebanon, where Israel has continued deadly strikes while Iranian-backed Hezbollah has launched attacks against Israeli targets.
sa
Views: 1