US, Iran Hold Face-to-Face Talks in Switzerland; 4-Party Meeting Joined by Mediators

The United States and Iran began negotiations in Switzerland on June 21 (local time) to implement their end-of-war memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The face-to-face meeting between the negotiating teams of the two countries comes 70 days after their end-of-war talks on April 11–12, which ended with a "no-deal" declaration in Islamabad, Pakistan.

According to foreign media, the negotiating teams from both countries, led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with delegations from mediating countries Pakistan and Qatar, entered negotiations on Sunday morning at the Bürgenstock Resort on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland.

The US sent Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his eldest son-in-law Jared Kushner, among others, to Switzerland.

From the Iranian side, economic officials including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Central Bank of Iran Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, and Deputy Oil Minister and Managing Director of the National Iranian Oil Company Hamid Bord also attended.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday afternoon, "Qatar, as a mediator, announces the start of the Lucerne talks and the first meeting of the high-level consultative body involving delegations from the US, Iran, and mediators Qatar and Pakistan," adding, "We hope these talks will lead to a comprehensive and lasting agreement on all issues included in the MOU."

Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, added that a technical expert working group to negotiate a final agreement and a follow-up group to monitor the implementation of the MOU and the progress of the final agreement have been formed respectively.

Vice President Vance conveyed before the afternoon session that US President Donald Trump had called for opening a "new chapter" in bilateral relations.

He called the talks a "historic meeting" and said the Middle East is at a crossroads where it could open a new chapter or return to the old ways.

Regarding Iran's claim that Israel's airstrikes on Lebanon violated the MOU, Vance claimed, "There has been great progress over the last few days in ensuring that the ceasefire in Lebanon is maintained."

He said, "The significance of today lies in starting technical negotiations. While this won't resolve all differences, for the first time in history, both sides can gather in one place to identify together what is most important to each," adding, "We have already seen great progress in recent hours and expect further progress in the coming hours."

The US and Iranian negotiating teams reportedly met separately with the Pakistani and Qatari delegations on Sunday morning, followed by a meeting involving all four countries.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei previously said that the talks were scheduled to be a one-day event, with the four-party meeting taking place in the afternoon.

Vice President Vance, departing for Switzerland the previous day, said, "We will negotiate for about two days," adding, "I hope to make progress on the nuclear issue and the Lebanon ceasefire."

Swiss authorities extended access and traffic controls near the venue until June 23 in preparation for overnight negotiations.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry previously stated that the talks are "to demand the implementation of the other party's obligations," expressing its intention to first review the commitments presented in the MOU as prerequisites for negotiating a final agreement, such as the termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon (Article 1), and the lifting of the US maritime blockade and sanctions (Articles 4 and 10).

Baghaei said on Sunday, "The Zionist regime (Israel) continues to violate its commitments in Lebanon, and this issue will be a key topic of discussion in today's talks," adding, "Discussions on the use of frozen or restricted Iranian assets and the issuance of permits required for the sale of Iranian crude oil will also be on the agenda."

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also headed to Switzerland to discuss Iran's denuclearization.

Grossi wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, "Met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to exchange views on the situation regarding Iran, future prospects, and the role of the IAEA."

Article 8 of the US-Iran end-of-war MOU states, "It was agreed to resolve the disposition of enriched material stockpiles in accordance with a mutually agreed mechanism, using at least on-site dilution under IAEA supervision."

After signing the MOU, the US and Iran initially planned to hold their first working-level negotiations on June 19 to discuss the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions on Iran.

But the face-to-face talks were postponed as Iran took issue with Israel's airstrikes on Lebanon.

Under the MOU, the US and Iran agreed to reach a final agreement within 60 days and have it approved by a UN Security Council resolution.

The US considers the negotiation period to have begun on June 18, the day after the presidents of both countries signed the MOU.

According to this, the negotiation deadline is August 16.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.