A new round of negotiations between the United States and Iran will begin on Sunday in Switzerland with the aim of permanently ending the war in the Middle East based on the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties, while the continuation of the conflict in Lebanon threatens the agreement.
Tehran confirmed that the talks will focus on several issues, most notably the situation in southern Lebanon, where relative calm has prevailed on the ground since Saturday afternoon, following two days of escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, which threatened the US-Iranian understanding.
US Vice President JD Vance arrived Sunday morning at the Burgenstock Hotel to meet with Iranian negotiators for the second time since the war began with the US and Israel launching their first strikes against the Islamic Republic on February 28.
Vance told reporters at Andrews Air Force Base before heading to Europe: “I think we will make progress on the nuclear issue, and we will make progress on the ceasefire issue in Lebanon. These are the two main things that I think we will focus on,” noting that he would join the negotiations “for a day or two.”
Tehran, for its part, emphasized the priority of the Lebanese issue in Sunday's talks.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said: “The Zionist regime continues to violate its commitment in Lebanon. This issue will be the main topic of discussion today,” according to a video distributed by IRNA.
He added: “Also on the agenda is the issue of providing Iran’s frozen or restricted assets, in addition to discussions related to issuing the necessary licenses for the sale of Iranian oil.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir also traveled to Bürgenstock, Switzerland, to participate in talks aimed at making progress regarding the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
Pakistan's Geo TV reported that the Prime Minister's office said the officials would participate in the talks.
The Pakistani Foreign Office said that high-level delegations from Iran, Qatar and the United States would participate in the talks, which it described as the first official contact since the signing of the memorandum of understanding on June 17.
The negotiations were scheduled to begin on Friday in Switzerland, but were postponed at the last minute as Israel escalated its attacks in Lebanon after four soldiers, including an officer, were killed by Hezbollah fire.
Washington then reached an agreement to renew the ceasefire there, a condition of its initial agreement with Iran, but Israeli forces clashed again with Hezbollah fighters on Saturday, with both sides trading accusations of violating the truce.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, the central operations room of the Iranian forces, announced in a statement the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic “due to the United States’ blatant breach of its commitments” and “in response to the ongoing and continuous violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist entity in southern Lebanon.”
US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian remotely signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday night that stipulated a ceasefire, including on the Lebanese front, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports.
The US Central Command subsequently confirmed that safe passage through the international waterway "remains in place" and that US forces are "vigilant".
Trump later warned that Washington might impose its own transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz if negotiators failed to reach a deal.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that there would be no tariffs “unless imposed by the United States of America and for its own benefit.”
Preparatory talks between diplomats began on Saturday, according to Bern.
Swiss payment
Iranian state media and the Swiss Foreign Ministry reported that an Iranian delegation arrived in Switzerland late Saturday.
Iranian state television announced that the delegation included Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said the delegation “will follow up and demand the implementation of the other party’s commitments” under this understanding, according to the IRNA news agency.
Vance left Washington on an afternoon flight to join the talks, saying: "I can only stay there for a day or two."
Vance stated in an interview with Fox News earlier on Saturday that American negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Wittkopf were there to deal with "some technical elements," noting that they had reported that "things are going well."Pakistan confirmed that “technical-level talks” will be held on Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland, adding that Pakistani and Qatari mediators will participate in the discussions with US and Iranian delegations.
The negotiations are expected to last for two months and will address issues left unresolved by the initial agreement, particularly the Iranian nuclear program.
Lebanon truce
Israel and Hezbollah continued to trade accusations on Saturday, as fighting continued in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army announced the death of one of its soldiers during fighting in southern Lebanon, bringing the number of soldiers killed since the signing of the memorandum of understanding to five.
An Israeli military official confirmed that the army had received orders from the political leadership to cease fighting in southern Lebanon, adding that Israeli forces were “not carrying out preemptive strikes,” but rather operating “defensively within the declared security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Earlier, an Israeli military official said that new attacks were underway after Hezbollah “fired more than 50 rockets at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon” overnight.
Hezbollah accused Israel of “carrying out an infiltration attempt towards the Ali al-Taher heights last night (Friday) under the cover of the ceasefire,” adding that its fighters ambushed the Israeli force and confronted it “with appropriate weapons.”
Lebanese state media reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted about 20 locations, and authorities counted more than 30 dead.
The Ministry of Health said the total number of people killed in the fighting in Lebanon has exceeded four thousand.
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said, “The resistance has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yehiel Leiter, accused Hezbollah of violating the truce, saying that Israel was “defending itself against terrorist attacks.”
But Hezbollah responded that Israel bears “full responsibility”.
Fadi Zayat, who fled the town of Tyre in southern Lebanon, said that “fear is in control” of the south.
The 53-year-old man added: “We returned to the village a few days ago, but our bags are ready to flee again.
Tags:
america
