U.S., Iranian Negotiators Meet for One Day of Talks To Break Logjam on Peace Deal

U.S. and Iranian officials may be in Switzerland at the same time to discuss a peace plan that would end Iran’s nuclear program, stop Israeli and Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon, and ensure open passage of goods through the Strait of Hormuz, but they are still engaging in shuttle diplomacy.Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, and his top negotiator, Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, met with Vice President Vance at Bürgenstock Resort near Lucerne before sitting down separately with Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Qatari mediators were also going back and forth as the head of the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, met on the sidelines with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. Officials from the four nations were expected to meet in the afternoon to hammer out the details of a peace deal. Mr. Vance is joined by President Trump’s interlocuters Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Speaking after morning meetings, Vice President Vance said the United States has “done more to stop the conflict in Lebanon” than any other nation over the past few months.“What today really represents is the beginning of a technical negotiation… [that’s] going to allow us to sit together, as teams, for the first time really in history, to figure out what matters most to the respective parties, to settle those issues and get to a better tomorrow,” he said.The technicalities are indeed the sticking point. Iran’s agreeing to halt its uranium enrichment — essential for making a bomb, but not for generating electricity — and then finding a verifiable mechanism to ensure it does not resume its activities are central to the peace agreement, as is guaranteeing unrestricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, which is the passageway for 20 percent of the world’s oil, has been held hostage in the negotiations over Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon. Iran said it closed the strait on Saturday in response to Israel actions in the south. Israel, which is not privy to the talks in Lebanon, says it will stay in Lebanon for as long as it takes to remove the threat from Iran’s proxy. Israel confirmed it had killed two militants last week who were responsible for transferring a half billion dollars to Hamas fighters in Gaza through Turkey. Over several days, five Israeli soldiers and 97 Hezbollah fighters, as well as eight Lebanese women and four children were reported killed in fighting. Nonetheless, on Sunday, Lebanese civilians began returning to the area where Israeli military officials said they would act in a defensive capacity only while talks are ongoing. Iran has said it will keep the strait closed for as long as Israel ignores the ceasefire requirement in the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said fighting in Lebanon will be the key topic in afternoon discussions as he labeled the United States “unable or unwilling” to control Israel over its border security.“The implementation of any document is more important than its signing,” Mr. Baghaei also said Sunday.Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, also said Sunday that Iran has a right to its nuclear program. “What is certain is that we will never back down from the right to enrich uranium, and the other side is also forced to accept it,” Mr. Pezeshkian said, according to state media.Though Iranian officials announced it had closed the strait on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said traffic was flowing. It had monitored the movement of 17 billion barrels of oil, including Iranian shipments that previously had been barred by U.S. sanctions.As passage through the strait is reportedly on-again, off-again, Mr. Trump said Saturday that he will not impose tolls on ships transiting through the waterway for 60 days during discussions, but would be willing to impose a toll “should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs.”With Iranian oil flowing and Iran set to receive billions of dollars in assets that are currently frozen, and minus an agreement on nuclear enrichment or Hezbollah disarmament, many observers are questioning what was the point of the February 28 attacks that launched the four-month standoff.“Tough on allies, soft on the Islamic regime in Iran. They scold Israel, fight with NATO, mock Europe, and lecture Ukraine, then sit down with the mullahs and ask how many more billions of dollars from American taxpayers they would like. It’s like getting robbed and then asking the thief whether he’d prefer cash or a wire transfer,” a political analyst from the United Arab Emirates, Amjad Taha, said on X. “At this point, either Tehran has performed magic on them, or they genuinely think the regime will change if they keep being nice to it—which is even worse than magic. For 47 years, the world and the Iranian people tried being nice to the regime and got Hezbollah, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and terrorism in the West,” he continued.

U.S., Iranian Negotiators Meet for One Day of Talks To Break Logjam on Peace Deal

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