Direct negotiations between the US and Iran began Sunday at the Bürgenstock resort in the Swiss Alps, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan. Before the summit opened, US Vice President J.D. Vance, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Qatari prime minister delivered remarks, and for the first time in years, senior American representatives were photographed alongside senior Iranian representatives.
Vance, who heads the American delegation, described the occasion as "a historic meeting" and said the leaderships of the US and Iran had never met at such a senior level. The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the American delegation was led by Vance alongside envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Lebanon expected to be at the center of the discussions
According to reports, Iran conditioned the continuation of contacts on a halt to the fighting in Lebanon, saying that as long as Washington had not guaranteed a ceasefire there, the substantive phase of the negotiations would not begin, including the discussion of the nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the Bürgenstock talks would last only one day and would deal solely with implementing the memorandum of understanding, not the substantive issues intended for the next stage.
Minutes after the talks began, President Donald Trump published a post on Truth Social addressing the situation in Lebanon. "Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don't, we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!"
Tasnim news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, added that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen as long as the ceasefire in Lebanon was not being upheld and as long as sanctions waivers were not issued for Iranian oil exports.
Vance listed the achievements he said had already been made. "The opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of Iran's nuclear program, all these things have already been achieved," he said, adding that the question now was whether the parties could "turn a new page and permanently change relations in the Middle East."
Great progress has been made
"Great progress" had been made "in just the last few hours." On Lebanon, Vance said there had been "great progress in ensuring the stability of the ceasefire" in recent days, adding that "these things are always a little messy." He said that compared with the situation three months ago, and later with three weeks ago and three days ago, additional progress had been made at every stage. One journalist said in her question that "Israel is carrying out something like genocide in Lebanon, and the main thing is to stop it."
Vance did not address the accusation, saying the US had "done more than any other government in the world in recent months to stop the conflict in Lebanon." He added that Trump had "committed to bringing about a full regional ceasefire" and said he felt "very good" about the situation in Lebanon, though he noted that "there is still more work to do."
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that the parties would leave the summit "with a wonderful document in hand that will advance peace, progress and prosperity," and thanked Vance and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir for "the perseverance and patience they showed during the contacts."
The Qatari prime minister also described the event as "historic" and the agreement as "significant not only for regional security but also for the global economy," but added that "this is not the main celebration, which will come only when we reach the final agreement."
Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who is in Cairo for a meeting with his counterparts from Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, said Sunday in an interview with Al Arabiya that "matters between America and Iran have advanced greatly," adding: "We are confident that America and Iran will reach a final agreement." According to him, "America requested the transfer of Iran's nuclear stockpile, and we reached a solution of diluting the enrichment," and "Iran expressed its satisfaction and agreement to reduce the enrichment level of the stockpile in its possession."
He also said that "the sanctions file against Iran will be discussed bilaterally with America," and that "the US president personally oversaw the talks, and America and Iran reached the conclusion that diplomacy is the solution." At the same time, he criticized Israel, saying that "Israel's attacks in Lebanon are provocative and must stop."
Trump's threats
In an interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump threatened Iran. Referring to remarks by Iran's president, Trump said, "He had better watch his mouth, he had better fall in line, or we will take over the rest of the country."
The president clarified that the memorandum of understanding was, at this stage, only an extension of the ceasefire, not the final agreement with the Iranian regime, and stressed that he held "all the cards" and was keeping a range of options open if the Iranians did not seriously commit to the negotiating table. "I have a 60-day option, and I can do whatever I want after that option expires," he said.
Trump also addressed the future of the Strait of Hormuz and again repeated his comment that the US could become the strait's "guardian angel," collect transit fees itself and receive a share of the oil in return, about 20%, according to him. The president also said that 19 million barrels of crude oil left the Persian Gulf yesterday as a result of the memorandum of understanding with Iran. He said he had told senior Iranian officials directly, "You close it, and you won't have a country," and threatened, "We may take over the Strait, if we have to. I'll blow the sh*t out of them."
On Lebanon, Trump again expressed disappointment that Israel was failing to eliminate Hezbollah, saying the Israelis "can't do anything without knocking down buildings." He said he was close to "handing the mission over to Syria."
