The first round of negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at securing a final agreement to end their conflict concluded with “encouraging progress”, mediators Qatar and Pakistan said on Monday, as both sides agreed on a roadmap to reach a comprehensive deal within 60 days.
The talks, held in Switzerland, followed last week’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran that halted hostilities and set a deadline for a broader settlement. Technical-level discussions are due to continue throughout the week.
In a joint statement, Qatar and Pakistan said a newly established High Level Committee had endorsed “a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the negotiations had delivered “major progress” toward ending the conflict in Lebanon, a key unresolved issue since the signing of the initial agreement, according to news reports.
The MOU signed last week committed both sides to pursuing a final settlement within 60 days, ending fighting on “all fronts”, including Lebanon, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping route.
Qatar and Pakistan said the parties had established a communication channel designed to prevent incidents and misunderstandings and ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
The mediators also announced the creation of a de-confliction mechanism involving the United States, Iran and Lebanon, aimed at ending military operations in Lebanon.
Despite the agreement, violence has continued in Lebanon. Fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in the south intensified in recent days, while Israeli air strikes have killed dozens of Lebanese civilians, including women and children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The escalation prompted the United States to broker a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Friday. Iran subsequently announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, although maritime tracking data indicated vessels continued to transit the waterway.
As negotiations opened in Lucerne on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran “must immediately stop” its proxies in Lebanon from escalating tensions and threatened to “hit Iran very hard again” if they continued.
