U.S. Vice President JD Vance was still in Switzerland on Monday, despite saying he would stay only a day or two for talks with Iran at the Burgenstock resort. Senior Iranian officials Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Abbas Araghchi were also still there, and the negotiations were expected to continue on technical issues, possibly without the top figures present.
According to a U.S. diplomat, the overnight talks made progress on several fronts, including Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz. The main outcome announced by the Qatari and Pakistani mediators was a new communications line between Washington and Tehran to handle incidents in Hormuz, meant to prevent misunderstandings and keep commercial shipping moving during the 60 days that the memorandum of understanding remains in force.
The Iranians also received what was described as a separate gain, a “deconfliction cell” for Lebanon that, according to Qatar and Pakistan, would ensure an end to military operations there. The statement did not mention Israel or Hezbollah by name, and Israel publicly rejected any demand to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Since the mediators’ announcement, senior Israeli officials have remained silent, despite what the report described as another concession to Israel’s detriment even though it is not formally a party to the talks.
Araghchi called the cell “the first real test.” Iranian officials have recently portrayed themselves as the force behind a ceasefire in Lebanon, and Araghchi said after the talks that “some frozen assets were released,” without details. He also said sanctions on oil and petrochemical exports had been lifted, the American blockade had been reduced, and a major reconstruction plan for Iran had been launched.
The Iranian media reported that Vance, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met face to face with Ghalibaf and Araghchi, and that Vance and Araghchi were seen in the same room for about a minute. The Iranians said they refused a joint photo. Later, a picture from the Swiss hotel showed Vance using a laptop alongside Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, with Kushner standing behind them. The talks are expected to continue through the week, with the aim of producing breakthroughs for a higher-level agreement later.
