The first round of talks between the US and Iran to agree a final deal to put an end to the war has finished with “encouraging progress”, mediators from
Qatar and Pakistan have said.
The negotiations started on Sunday in Switzerland, after last week’s initial agreement between the US and Iran. Technical talks will continue throughout the week.
In a joint statement released on Monday, Qatar and Pakistan said that a “High Level Committee” had agreed to “a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days”.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the talks “delivered major progress” to end the conflict in Lebanon.
The memorandum of understanding signed last week includes a commitment to reach a final deal within 60 days, as well as an end to fighting on “all fronts” – including in Lebanon – and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The mediators’ joint statement said that a “communication line” had been formed “to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz”.
Both sides also agreed to the creation of a “de-confliction cell” between the US, Iran and Lebanon, facilitated by the mediating countries, to end military operations in Lebanon, their statement said.
Since the MOU was signed, there has been an upsurge in fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, and Israeli air strikes that the health ministry says have killed dozens of Lebanese including women and children.
That escalation led the US to declare a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday. Continued clashes and air strikes prompted Iran on Saturday to announce it had shut the Strait of Hormuz, though tracking data shows vessels have continued to pass through it.
Earlier, as the talks began in the Swiss city of Lucerne, Trump posted that Iran “must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble” and threatened to “hit Iran very hard again” if they did not.
Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded by saying: “Don’t they think that if their threats had any effect, they wouldn’t be in this desperate situation today?… No matter how much they talk, it is we who take action.”
On Sunday, fighting was reported to have diminished but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the Israeli military would remain in southern Lebanon for as long as is necessary to protect northern Israel.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has rejected any Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon and said Hezbollah would defend itself.
Speaking before the talks at the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock, US lead negotiator Vice-President JD Vance said Trump had asked negotiators to “turn over a new leaf”.
