US-Iran Switzerland talks make progress on Lebanon ceasefire and Hormuz

Obbuergen,UPDATED: Jun 22, 2026 14:20 IST

Senior negotiators from the United States and Iran wrapped up a lengthy first round of talks in Switzerland on Monday, in a mediation effort aimed at securing a permanent end to the war between the two countries. The discussions, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, saw difficult moments but also some agreements, with both sides saying technical negotiations would continue in Switzerland through the week.

Pakistan and Qatar said there had been "encouraging progress" during the talks. The two sides agreed to set up a "de-confliction cell" to address the fighting in Lebanon, while a senior US diplomat said progress had also been made on "mechanisms" to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and to ensure a ceasefire in southern Lebanon holds.

The talks, held at a resort near Lake Lucerne, were shaken by sharp remarks from US President Donald Trump, who was away from the venue. Iranian state media said the talks were paused after the "publication of an insulting message by the US President". It said the Iranian delegation then met Qatari mediators and left the negotiating site. However, a senior US diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said late on Sunday that the Iranian side remained at the venue and that negotiations were continuing.

Iranian state television reported on Monday that the delegation had left the summit site for Zurich airport to return to Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had vowed to "never back down from the right to enrich uranium", according to state media. Trump later told Fox News in a phone interview that Pezeshkian should watch what he says and also threatened to take over Iran, according to one of the channel's correspondents.

Trump also posted on social media while the talks were under way, saying: "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!!!"

The US team at the talks included Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law. Iran was represented by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. It was not clear when Vance would leave Switzerland, though he told Fox News on Saturday that he expected to stay only a "day or two". Kushner and Witkoff were handling much of the technical detail for the US side.

In a joint statement, Pakistan and Qatar said the high-level round had ended and that technical talks would continue for the rest of the week. They said the sides had agreed on a "communication line" to ensure safe passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, along with a mechanism to help end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The US made no immediate comment, while Iran praised the mediators' efforts.

Araghchi wrote on X that Pakistani and Qatari mediators had delivered "major progress to end the Lebanon War". He said the first "real test" of the negotiations would be whether the mechanism succeeded in stopping the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The senior US diplomat said one of the issues discussed was Iran's messaging on the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran's military said on Saturday that it had closed the waterway in response to the continuing fighting in Lebanon. US Central Command disputed that the strait had been closed again.

The interim deal signed last week by the leaders of the US and Iran sets a 60-day period for negotiators to decide the future of Tehran's nuclear programme, amid concerns that it could be used for military purposes, a claim Iran denies. The fate of frozen Iranian assets and other difficult issues is also on the agenda. Even so, Iran wants the talks to first focus on the fighting in Lebanon.

A renewed ceasefire in Lebanon that began on Saturday appeared to be holding. Israel's military said it would lift movement restrictions for residents near the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday morning. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the US-Iran deal. There was cautious calm in Lebanon on Monday, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight after a quiet Sunday, and Hezbollah has not announced any attacks on Israeli forces since Saturday. The pause is the longest since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2.

The first round of talks in Switzerland therefore ended with both progress and visible strain, as mediators pushed ahead with technical discussions on Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz and the wider US-Iran agenda.

With PTI Inputs

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