US-Iran negotiations open in Switzerland with ceasefire demands and a closed Strait of Hormuz

From MoU to confrontation

The United States and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding last week, establishing a 60-day ceasefire framework. The deal committed Washington to lifting the blockade of Iranian ports, while Tehran promised free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and an end to military operations in Lebanon. However, by Saturday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had closed the strait, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire and the US of failing to enforce it. The US military countered that shipping was proceeding normally and that Iran “does not control” the waterway.

“There WILL BE NO TOLLS on the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days during the Ceasefire Period and there WILL BE NO TOLLS after the 60-day period ends. Unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, in the event the deal is not completed, for services provided as Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for the purpose of compensating expenses both in the past, present and future.”

The first session in Bürgenstock

Vice President J.D. Vance landed at Emmen air base near Lucerne with his wife Usha shortly before 6 a.m. local time. The US delegation, which also included special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held preparatory meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir. Iran’s team, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, first met with the Swiss foreign minister before bilateral sessions with the Qatari and Pakistani mediators. The formal quadrilateral talks, with all four delegations at the table, opened around 14:30 Greek time.

“Our meeting in Switzerland is not aimed at starting technical talks. We are going there to make sure the Americans will begin implementing the memorandum of understanding. Once that is implemented, then we can continue with technical talks.”

What Iran wants

Tehran entered the resort with a clear list of demands. The immediate priority is a permanent ceasefire in Lebanon. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that “the Zionist regime continues to violate its commitments for Lebanon” and that this would be the main topic. Iran also seeks the release of $6 billion in frozen assets held in Qatar, the lifting of sanctions that block oil exports, and concrete moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. President Masoud Pezeshkian framed the MoU as a victory, noting that Trump had “recognized everything as the rights of the people and the nation” and that the $6 billion would be returned to Iran.

The nuclear side

The 60-day window also covers the nuclear file. Pezeshkian insisted that Iran does not want a nuclear bomb, a position, he said, that the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had long decreed, and that the US merely asked Iran to “write it down and sign it,” which they did. While the technical details remain to be negotiated, the president sought to present the agreement as a confirmation of Iran’s red lines rather than a concession. Whether this framing holds once detailed inspections and limits are discussed is an open question, but for now it allows both sides to claim early progress.

Broader stakes

The talks are the first attempt at a comprehensive settlement since the war in Lebanon escalated and the Strait of Hormuz became a flashpoint. With roughly 20% of global oil and gas trade passing through the strait, its closure, even if disputed by the US, has rattled markets. Israel, meanwhile, said it had received instructions to halt attacks in Lebanon and would act only “defensively within the security zone,” though it retained the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks. The quadrilateral format, with Pakistan and Qatar steering the process, is designed to insulate the direct US-Iran channel and to test whether the MoU can be converted into a lasting agreement before the 60-day clock expires.