Negotiations between the United States and Iran on ending the war began Sunday at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland. The delegations, led by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, first met with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan. The two senior figures were photographed together in the same room.
Vance said the talks were going “great” and added that there had also been progress in Lebanon. “We have made progress in recent days to ensure the ceasefire is maintained,” he said. The summit is being held under heavy security, with guards wearing protective vests, some in military camouflage and others carrying submachine guns. The entrance to the luxury hotel hosting the talks is blocked by concrete barriers and checkpoints.
The pressure on both sides concerns not a direct U.S.-Iran war, but the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel already halted fire in Lebanon on Friday under U.S. pressure, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday: “There was no and there is no restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon to act to remove threats.” He added that “the ceasefire announced yesterday leaves the IDF in all positions in the security zone that protects the communities in the north.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said technical and technological teams had been set up to manage the talks, along with monitoring teams to oversee implementation of the memorandum and track progress toward a final deal. “Qatar supports all efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the negotiations and reaching a final agreement that promotes peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region,” he said. Iranian reports also noted claims that IAEA chief Rafael Grossi was in Switzerland, but an Iranian team source said the nuclear issue is not on the agenda in this round. Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said the U.S. should control the “Zionist regime” and stop its actions in Lebanon, and that closing the Strait of Hormuz by the Revolutionary Guards sends a clear message to the U.S. and Israel.
