US, Iran Agree 60-Day Roadmap After Switzerland Talks
Reuters
Buergenstock, Switzerland: High-level talks between the United States and Iran concluded on Monday in Switzerland, with both sides agreeing to a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement, according to a joint statement issued by mediators Pakistan and Qatar.
The negotiations, held at the Qatari-owned mountain resort of Buergenstock, came after a tense start marked by Iran’s renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz and US President Donald Trump’s warnings of fresh military action if Tehran escalated tensions further.
The joint statement said technical-level discussions would continue throughout the week and outlined a framework for advancing talks toward a final agreement within two months.
It also announced the establishment of a mechanism to end hostilities in Lebanon and the creation of a communication channel to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
US Vice President JD Vance led the American delegation in talks with Iranian officials. The discussions began on Sunday under the framework of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached last week that extended a fragile ceasefire, originally agreed to in April, for at least another 60 days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media that Tehran had secured key concessions, including waivers allowing oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen Iranian assets, and the launch of a reconstruction and development initiative for the country.
The White House did not immediately comment on whether the latest round of high-level talks had formally concluded.
Ahead of the negotiations, Trump reportedly warned Iranian officials against attempting to shut the Strait of Hormuz again, telling them, “you won’t have a country” if they did so. According to Fox News, he also repeated earlier remarks suggesting the United States could take control of the waterway and potentially impose transit fees.
Trump said his administration agreed to last week’s MOU to prevent a global economic crisis driven by soaring oil prices following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have declined significantly over the past week, reaching levels not seen since the conflict began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Following Monday’s announcement, Brent crude futures fell more than $1 to $79.44 per barrel.
Accounts of the talks differed between the two sides.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, citing an informed source, reported that Iranian negotiators briefly refused to return to the negotiating room after Trump’s threats became public. However, messages continued to be exchanged through Pakistani and Qatari mediators.
The source said Tehran insisted that progress on nuclear discussions depended on Washington fulfilling other commitments under the MOU, including releasing frozen assets and issuing waivers for Iranian oil exports.
A US diplomat involved in the negotiations disputed reports of a breakdown, telling Reuters that Iranian officials remained engaged in discussions 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.
The broader agreement calls for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies, and ending regional hostilities, including the conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement have continued exchanging attacks.
Iran announced over the weekend that it had once again halted maritime traffic through the strait, arguing that the United States had failed to uphold commitments aimed at ending violence in Lebanon. Tehran had also maintained that Sunday’s talks would not address substantive nuclear issues.
Speaking in Switzerland, Vance downplayed the continued violence in Lebanon, saying progress was being made toward a ceasefire.
“These things are always a little bit messy,” he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Trump renewed pressure on Tehran, warning that the United States could launch further strikes if Iran failed to restrain its regional allies.
“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump wrote on social media. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
Despite the tough rhetoric, Vance emphasized that Trump remained committed to improving relations with Iran.
“The president has asked us to turn over a new leaf to transform our relationship with the people of Iran,” he said.
According to US officials, part of the discussions focused on clarifying Iran’s position regarding the Strait of Hormuz and establishing deconfliction measures to ensure the waterway remains open to international shipping.
Although a new ceasefire in Lebanon was announced on Friday, fighting has yet to fully subside. Iran cited continued hostilities there as justification for re-closing the Strait of Hormuz, whose previous closure for nearly four months caused one of the most severe disruptions to global energy supplies in modern history.
Shipping activity through the strait remained limited on Sunday, with analytics firm Kpler reporting that only five vessels passed through the waterway, compared with 26 the previous day.
In Lebanon, however, Sunday appeared calmer than recent days. Reuters journalists in southern Lebanon observed heavy traffic as displaced residents returned to their homes. Many travelers waved Hezbollah flags while moving through areas that had experienced months of conflict.
More than one million people have reportedly been displaced since Israel launched its March offensive against Hezbollah fighters operating along the Lebanese border. Additional input from Geo News website.
