US Vice President JD Vance stated that his extensive discussions with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland have laid a "good foundation for a successful final deal" to permanently end the war that began nearly five months ago. Vance, accompanied by officials including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, held talks with Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The negotiations, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, followed an interim deal signed last week by the US and Iran, which initiated a 60-day period for negotiators to address critical issues.
Key areas of progress cited by Vance and other US officials included the creation of "mechanisms" to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open for global energy shipments and a ceasefire holds between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi, in a post on X, also acknowledged "major progress to end the Lebanon War," noting that the first "real test" would be the success of a newly established "de-confliction cell" in halting fighting in Lebanon. Iran has also agreed to allow inspectors from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to inspect its nuclear sites; though details on the handling of enriched nuclear material, such as dilution within Iran under IAEA supervision, were rumored but not confirmed by Vance.
The high-level talks concluded with an agreement for lower-level technical discussions to continue for the remainder of the week. These technical talks are crucial for addressing complex issues including Iran's nuclear program, the lifting of sanctions (which have been temporarily waived for oil and petroleum derivatives under the interim deal), and dispute resolution mechanisms. Pakistan and Qatar issued a joint statement highlighting the "positive" and "constructive" nature of the sessions and the establishment of a "High Level Committee" for political oversight and a roadmap for a final deal within 60 days.
Despite the progress, the negotiations faced external pressures. Former President Donald Trump had threatened to levy US tolls on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz if a deal wasn't reached within 60 days. Meanwhile, Iranian officials, particularly Mohammad Ghalibaf, had initially bristled at previous threats from Trump, emphasizing their readiness to respond. The current agreement, however, allows commercial vessels passage through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without charge and has allowed Iran to freely sell its oil and access billions of dollars in frozen assets, paving the way for a potential "major reconstruction and development plan" for Iran.
