US and Iran begin Swiss talks as Lebanon ceasefire moves to the top of the agenda

Formal contacts between the United States and Iran began today at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, with Pakistan mediating ahead of the first official round of negotiations. An Iranian official told CNN that ending the fighting in Lebanon is the Iranian delegation’s top priority, and said the talks in Switzerland are not yet part of the formal negotiation track set out in the US-Iran memorandum of understanding because several clauses have not been implemented.

The official said the most important unmet clause is the first one, which calls for an end to the war in Lebanon, adding that failure to carry it out has prevented the sides from moving to the official negotiation phase. A diplomat involved in the Swiss talks told CBS that an emergency session on the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon was added to the first day’s agenda.

The new round of US-Iran talks, aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, was expected to start today after the arrival of US Vice President J.D. Vance, hours after the Iranian delegation landed. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also arrived at the venue, and Pakistani media reported that army chief Asim Munir reached Switzerland on Sunday morning. The talks had been scheduled for Friday but were postponed at the last minute after Israel intensified strikes in Lebanon following the killing of four soldiers by Hezbollah fire.

Before boarding his flight to Europe, Vance said, "I think we will make progress on the nuclear issue, and we will make progress on the ceasefire in Lebanon. Those are the two main things I think we will focus on." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, "All the clauses of the memorandum of understanding are in Iran’s interest, and the results of these negotiations will become clear soon." Separately, a new round of Israel-Lebanon talks is set to begin Tuesday and run through Thursday, with Lebanese and military delegations joining on the first day. A Lebanese official told Al-Diyar that President Joseph Aoun stressed in a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a ceasefire is the essential first step before any further negotiations.