US-Iran talks in Switzerland involved ‘major progress’ as ‘de-confliction cell’ agreed to end Lebanon war: Top 10 points

THE delegations led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf began their first round of talks in Switzerland on Sunday, amid US President Donald Trump's threat to “hit Iran very hard” if it did not stop supporting its proxy groups in the region, while Iran described the negotiations as the “first real test” of the agreement.

The high-level technical talks between the US and Iran under the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) concluded at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Burgenstock on Monday.

US-Iran Switzerland meeting: Top 10 developments

Iran and the United States agreed on Monday to establish communication channels to “avoid incidents and miscommunication” in the Strait of Hormuz, according to mediators Pakistan and Qatar.

The joint statement by mediators said negotiators also reached an understanding on a “roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days”, with technical-level discussions set to continue throughout the week at the Burgenstock. The mediators said, “Encouraging progress has been made, including the creation of a mechanism for further technical talks”.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that the Iranian delegation declined to return to the negotiating room after Trump's threats became public. However, the report said exchanges continued indirectly through Pakistani and Qatari mediators.

According to the source, Iranian officials maintained that discussions on nuclear issues could only move forward once other provisions of the memorandum of understanding were implemented'

A US diplomat participating in the talks disputed suggestions that the negotiations had stalled, telling Reuters: “The Iranians never left and are still here meeting and negotiating deep into the night." The diplomat added, “We’ve talked about the Strait, Lebanon, nuclear issues, and details of implementing the MOU, among other topics.”

Lebanon was drawn deeper into the conflict after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group launched attacks on Israel in response to the war involving Tehran, triggering Israeli airstrikes and military operations across Lebanese territory. Following several unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding last week aimed at ending the conflict. The agreement included provisions designed to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

However, repeated clashes have continued in Lebanon since the deal was reached. In response, Iran warned that it would once again close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and gas shipments, after previously reopening the waterway under the terms of the agreement.

Meanwhile, it is unknown when Vance will leave Switzerland, although he told Fox News on Saturday that he expected to stay for only “a day or two”. Much of the technical work in the negotiations is being handled by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff on behalf of the US delegation.