‘Encouraging progress’: Iran, US wrap first round of Switzerland talks
Iran and the United States made “progress” at the first round of Switzerland talks aimed at reaching a final peace deal, with the Iranian side saying it achieved "favorable progress" on some important issues.
Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the negotiators reached agreement on a "roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days" on sanctions imposed on Iran as well as the country’s nuclear program, with technical talks to continue for the rest of the week at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock.
"Encouraging progress has been made including the creation of a mechanism for further technical talks," they said, detailing a contact channel set up to "avoid incidents and miscommunication" at the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route.
Tehran had effectively closed the waterway in retaliation against the joint attacks by Israel and the United States on February 28 that touched off the war in the Middle East.
A "de-confliction cell", between the parties and the Lebanese authorities has also been agreed to prevent fighting from erupting again, they said.
Lebanon was pitched into the conflict as Hezbollah resistance group attacked Israel over the war on Tehran, prompting Israel’s brutal strikes on Lebanon.
Building on Islamabad MoU
Sunday's meeting followed an interim deal digitally signed last week between the presidents of Iran and the US and stretched into the early hours of Monday.
The memorandum, which contains 14 clauses, calls on the US to cease hostilities on all fronts — including in Lebanon, suspend oil and petrochemical sanctions, release Iran's frozen assets, and lift the naval blockade on Iranian ports.
"The discussions were held in a positive and constructive atmosphere and yielded encouraging progress," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X, adding that the first round of talks had "concluded successfully.”
Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's negotiating team and also the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Iran had achieved "favorable progress" in the first round of talks over the issuance of waivers for oil and petroleum product exports.
The talks involved "an exchange of important messages," specifically regarding clauses 10 and 11 of the 14-point memorandum reached between the two countries, he said.
Sanctions ‘waived’, frozen assets ‘released’
Baqaei said in a televised interview that the clauses address “two critical issues” that are issuance of waivers for the export of Iranian oil and derivatives and the US commitment to unfreeze Iranian funds.
The Iranian official added that under clause 13 of the memorandum, negotiations toward a final agreement cannot proceed to the next stage until those steps are completed.
Iran's oil and petrochemical sector has been under US sanctions since 2018, when Washington reimposed measures aimed at driving Iranian crude exports to zero. The campaign, part of a broader "maximum pressure" policy, has fallen short of fully halting shipments, though it has significantly reduced Tehran's oil revenues.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is also a member of the Iranian negotiating team, in a post on social media said Tehran has secured waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen assets and the launch of a reconstruction and development plan for Iran.
"Oil and Petrochem exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction & development plan launched for Iran. 1st real test: Lebanon deconfliction cell," he wrote.
The US Treasury said Monday it is temporarily lifting sanctions on Iran to allow the Islamic Republic to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21.
"All transactions" that were previously prohibited involving the production, sale, and transport of Iranian-origin crude oil "are authorized through 12:01 am eastern daylight time, August 21, 2026," according to a license published by the Treasury Department, which administers US economic sanctions.
The Iranian delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf while the US Vice President JD Vance is heading the American delegation in the negotiations.
Vance declared Monday that a "very good foundation" had been laid for negotiations towards a final deal with Iran.
Tehran has agreed for inspectors from the UN's nuclear watchdog to return to the country, Vance claimed, a year after Iran suspended some cooperation and blocked inspectors from key nuclear sites bombed by the US and Israel in 2025's 12-day war.
Baqaei said that "a very brief discussion took place regarding the nuclear issue, but there was no discussion of details" and that nuclear talks had not begun.