OBBUERGEN, Switzerland — Senior officials from the United States and Iran concluded an extended first round of negotiations Monday aimed at securing a lasting end to the conflict between the two countries.
The Swiss-hosted mediation effort, which began Sunday, was marked by tense moments but also produced some areas of agreement between the rival sides.
Qatar and Pakistan, serving as mediators, described the discussions as having made “encouraging progress.” According to the mediators, Washington and Tehran agreed to set up a “de-confliction cell” focused on managing hostilities in Lebanon. A senior U.S. diplomat also pointed to movement on several issues, including the creation of “mechanisms” intended to keep the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial route for global energy shipments — open and to preserve a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
Still, the negotiations involving U.S. and Iranian representatives, joined by Qatari and Pakistani officials, were disrupted by sharp remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump. From thousands of miles away from the mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne where the talks were being held, Trump issued comments that angered the Iranian delegation.
Iranian state media reported that the talks were suspended following the “publication of an insulting message by the U.S. President.” The Iranian team then met with Qatari mediators before leaving the negotiating venue, according to state media. However, a senior U.S. diplomat, speaking anonymously to brief reporters on the ongoing discussions, said late Sunday that the Iranian delegation was still at the site and that negotiations were continuing.
On Monday, Iranian state television said the country’s delegation had departed the summit location and was traveling to Zurich airport for a flight back to Tehran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had earlier pledged that Iran would “never back down from the right to enrich uranium,” state media reported. Trump later responded during a phone interview with Fox News, saying Pezeshkian should be careful with his words and, according to one of the network’s correspondents, threatening to take over Iran.
Trump also kept up his warnings to Iran on social media while negotiators were meeting, writing: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
The chief negotiators for the U.S. include JD Vance, the vice president; special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of the president. Iran is represented by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
It’s unclear when Vance will depart Switzerland, although he told Fox News in an interview Saturday that he anticipates staying only a “day or two.” Kushner and Witkoff are handling much of the technical details on behalf of the U.S. delegation.
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In a joint statement, Pakistan and Qatar said the high-level talks had ended and that technical negotiations would continue in Switzerland for the rest of the week. The statement said the sides had agreed to establish a “communication line” to ensure safe passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as a mechanism to bring about an end to the fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The U.S. offered no immediate comment, while Iran praised the meditators’ work.
Araghchi wrote on X that Pakistani and Qatari mediators delivered “major progress to end the Lebanon War.” He added that the first “real test” of negotiations would be whether the mechanism succeeded in halting the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
The senior U.S. diplomat said among the issues discussed was Iran’s messaging as it related to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s military said it closed Saturday in response to continued fighting in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command has disputed that Iran closed the strait again.
The interim deal to end the fighting in Iran, signed last week by the leaders of the U.S. and Iran, outlines a 60-day period for negotiators to settle the future of Tehran’s nuclear program amid concerns that it wants to use it for military purposes, a claim Iran denies. The fate of frozen Iranian assets, among other thorny issues, are also on the agenda.
Though the talks will encompass a vast array of complex matters, Iran first wants to focus on addressing the fighting in Lebanon.
Saturday’s renewed ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to be holding, and Israel’s military said it would lift movement restrictions for residents near the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday morning. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the U.S.-Iran deal.
There was cautious calm Monday in Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight after a day of quiet Sunday. Hezbollah likewise has not announced any attacks on Israeli forces since Saturday.
The lull in fighting in Lebanon is the longest since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war on March 2.
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Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Abby Sewell in Beirut, David Rising in Bangkok and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this story.
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