Shafaq News- Bürgenstock
A series of preliminary trilateral meetings got underway at Switzerland's Bürgenstock resort on Sunday ahead of the first formal session between US and Iranian negotiators, with the situation on the Lebanese front set to top the agenda, according to Iranian media.
Iranian outlets reported that the official session, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT), would open with discussions on implementing the first clause of the recent memorandum of understanding, which calls for an end to the war, particularly in Lebanon. Tehran has repeatedly stressed that addressing the situation in Lebanon is essential to moving the process forward.
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland early Sunday to lead the American delegation alongside President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Iran's team, headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, National Security Council Deputy Secretary Ali Bagheri, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.
Before departing, Vance expressed hope for progress on both the “nuclear issue” and the “Lebanon ceasefire,” saying he planned to remain in Switzerland for a day or two. Baqaei, meanwhile, indicated that Tehran's participation was intended to ensure Washington fulfills its commitments, cautioning that discussions on a final settlement would proceed only after Iran is satisfied with US compliance.
Pakistan, which has played a mediating role in contacts between Washington and Tehran, also sent a delegation headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
The diplomatic push follows an MoU reached last week that established a 60-day cease-fire. Under the arrangement, Washington pledged to end its blockade on Iranian ports, ease sanctions on oil exports, and release frozen Iranian assets, while Tehran committed to maintaining freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The fate of Iran's nuclear program and its stockpile of enriched uranium has been left to the next phase of negotiations. Tehran has reiterated that it does not seek nuclear weapons and has signaled readiness to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of a final deal.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah remains a major obstacle, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicating that Israel does not consider itself bound by the Lebanon-related provisions. Vance said conditions between Israel and Lebanon were “getting better and things are slowing down a little bit.”
Despite a ceasefire announced on Friday between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Israeli strikes the same day killed 83 people and wounded 141 others, including women and children. Previous ceasefire agreements have frequently been followed by mutual accusations of violations.
On Saturday, Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz because of the continued fighting in Lebanon, but the US military maintained that maritime traffic remained uninterrupted and asserted that Tehran "does not control" the strategic waterway.