US-Iran talks in Switzerland: Is Lebanon top of agenda; who is attending?
Tehran is eager to ensure that Washington pressures Israel to stop the war in Lebanon, which has reeled from renewed attacks. United States and Iranian
Tehran is eager to ensure that Washington pressures Israel to stop the war in Lebanon, which has reeled from renewed attacks. United States and Iranian delegations are gearing up for high-level technical talks slated to be held in Switzerland, as a deal signed on Thursday between Tehran and Washington is strained by continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Iran says the deal includes a ceasefire in Lebanon and that the Israeli attacks are a violation of the agreement. Sunday’s talks will be mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, and come after US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) electronically on Thursday. Here’s what we know Who is attending? Sunday’s talks will be held in the Swiss town of Burgenstock at a luxury hotel complex above Lake Lucerne. Iran’s delegation for the talks is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The US delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance and includes Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law 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 take part in the talks, as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced they were closing the Strait of Hormuz over ceasefire violations in Lebanon. Before departing for the talks on Saturday, Vance told reporters in the US that he hopes to make “progress on the nuclear issue” and “on the Lebanon ceasefire issue”. Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Iranian delegation “will be pressing for implementation” of the US’s commitments outlined in the MoU and “seeking clarity on how exactly the other side intends to carry out those commitments”. What is on the agenda? The technical talks between the US and Iran will take place for 60 days, where officials from both sides are expected to discuss the final phase of the peace process and find solutions to resolve major sticking points, such as Iran’s nuclear programme and Israel’s war on Lebanon.
But, reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar Atas said that on Saturday, just before taking off from Tehran and heading for Switzerland, the chief negotiator for Iran, Ghalibaf, said Iran is going to Switzerland mainly to remind the Americans that first they need to implement or at least initiate the implementation of the MoU, and that the technical talks are going to take place once the Americans accept that. “Here, they [Iran] are talking particularly about … the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, the lifting of the US maritime blockade, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the release of Iranian frozen assets and, of course, the lifting of US sanctions when it comes to Iran’s oil sector and petrochemical products and related sectors,” he said. Mohammad Mokhber, adviser and assistant to Iran’s supreme leader, warned on Sunday that Tehran would not accept a paper agreement and that Washington must fully implement its commitments. In a post on X, Mokhber said the US understood pressure in economic terms. “Americans understand the language of economics and cost-benefit better,” he wrote. “When the agreement remains just on paper, the flow of Middle East energy will also come to a halt. “Our negotiators will not be satisfied except with the full implementation of commitments and the fulfilment of the nation’s rights,” he added. Mokhber also invoked those killed in the conflict, saying Iran would not forget them. Lebanon The ceasefire in Lebanon is, however, expected to dominate the first day of talks. Israeli forces killed dozens of people in Lebanon on Saturday despite a reported ceasefire with Hezbollah. Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Vall said Iran is not going to move forward in the implementation of the MoU unless the Israelis abide by the agreement. The first clause of the MoU states that the US and Iran have agreed to the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
The BriefWire