Switzerland: United
States and Iranian delegations are gearing up for high-level technical talks in
Switzerland on Sunday, as a deal signed between Tehran and Washington is strained
by continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon. The talks will be mediated by Pakistan
and Qatar.
Iran's
delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the US delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance
and includes Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif and army chief Asim Munir, as well as Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, are also expected to attend.
The
ceasefire in Lebanon is expected to dominate the first day of talks, as Iran
insists the MoU includes an "immediate and permanent termination of
military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," and holds the US
responsible for ensuring Israel's compliance. Iran has warned it will not move
forward with implementation unless Israel abides by the agreement.
Technical talks will also address Iran's nuclear programme, the lifting of sanctions, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The discussions will take place over 60 days. Meanwhile, Iran's military announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz over continued Israeli attacks, though CENTCOM said the waterway remains open to traffic.
