American and Iranian negotiators sat down together in Switzerland on Sunday, working to hammer out details of an interim agreement intended to bring an end to the Iran war. Pakistani and Qatari mediators also participated in the technical-level discussions, which center on a conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched in late February.
Vice President JD Vance is heading the American delegation, which also includes Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Across the table, the Iranian side is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Just before the talks got underway, Tehran announced it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon. The interim agreement under discussion is designed to halt fighting on every front, Lebanon included.
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose American tolls on the strait if a final deal with Iran is not finalized within 60 days. The current interim agreement calls for 60 days of toll-free passage through the waterway, which is critical to the global supply of oil, natural gas, and related commodities such as fertilizer.
Hezbollah Leader Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon
Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem took to the airwaves to declare that his group will not accept any ceasefire arrangement that gives Israel what he called “freedom of action” inside Lebanon, or one that falls short of a full pullout of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
“There are no ‘security zones,’ for Israel,” Kassem stated, pushing back against Israel’s own terminology for the areas.
He added that Hezbollah would honor a ceasefire “if it happens,” but made clear that “we will not accept any violation.” The Iranian-backed militant group is not taking part in the separate Israel-Lebanon negotiations scheduled to resume Tuesday in Washington.
A fragile quiet has taken hold across Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight or into Sunday following several days of intense fighting.
U.S. Ambassador Downplays Rift Between Trump and Netanyahu
The American ambassador to Israel is pushing back on talk of a growing divide between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mike Huckabee, speaking in Jerusalem, acknowledged that Trump has at times used blunt language when referring to the Israeli leader, but insisted the two maintain a strong bond and that Trump remains firmly committed to Israel’s security.
“The one thing that I’ve always heard him say – always — and that I’ve always watched him do, is that America has an unbreakable bond with the state of Israel,” Huckabee told the JNS International Policy Summit. “And I trust that he means what he says.”
Energy Secretary Says Ships Continuing to Move Through Strait
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright reported that 67 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, a volume comparable to pre-war traffic levels for oil and oil-related cargo.
Iran’s joint military command had announced Saturday that it shut down the strait in response to Israel’s military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon — a claim the U.S. disputed.
Wright told Fox News that while Iran has not yet cleared mines from the strait’s main shipping lane, the U.S. has established an alternative route to the south and has been guiding ships through it. He also acknowledged that some commercial shipping companies continue to have concerns about safety in the area.
Previous Vance-Iran Talks Stretched Nearly a Full Day
The last time Vance met face-to-face with top Iranian officials in this context was in early April, just days after a ceasefire took hold. Those talks, held in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, dragged on for 21 hours before ending without a deal. Qalibaf served as the lead Iranian negotiator in those discussions as well.
By Sunday afternoon, the clock in Switzerland had passed 4 p.m.
Four-Way Talks Officially Underway in Switzerland
Both Iran and the White House confirmed that four-party negotiations have officially begun in Switzerland, with Vance sitting down directly with Iranian officials.
Trump is hoping to revive the agreement that was signed the previous week, which has been put at risk by Israel’s continued operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Iran says its primary concern in these talks is the situation in Lebanon, and Israel maintains it must protect itself from Hezbollah, the U.S. is focused on locking Iran into negotiations over its nuclear program — the long-standing core of the tensions between the two countries.
Trump Issues Warning to Iran Over Hezbollah
President Trump took to social media to warn Iran that it must rein in Hezbollah and stop the group from “causing trouble.”
“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” Trump wrote from Camp David, where he was spending the weekend.
Vance Calls This a Turning Point for the Middle East
Speaking as officials gathered ahead of the start of Sunday’s U.S.-Iran talks — referred to as the “Lake Lucerne Summit” — Vance struck a cautiously optimistic tone.
“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?” Vance said in brief remarks before the session began.
“Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently, or do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but is certainly very much something that can happen,” he added.
It was unclear at the time whether Iranian officials were in the room when Vance delivered those comments.
