US and Iran agree to 60-day roadmap and conflict cell in Swiss talks, but Iranian walkout over Trump threats clouds progress
The first high-level session under the Islamabad memorandum ended with a joint statement announcing a conflict resolution cell for Lebanon and a 60-day path to a final accord, while Iran’s delegation briefly quit over the US president’s comments.
A tense start in Bürgenstock
Negotiations between the United States and Iran opened on Sunday in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. The high-level session, the first under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, had been postponed from Friday after an Israeli offensive in Lebanon, which Tehran views as a ceasefire violation. US Vice President JD Vance, who travelled to Switzerland on Saturday, led the American side; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi headed the delegation from Tehran.
The first session of high-level talks under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has concluded in a positive and constructive atmosphere, and encouraging advances have been made.
The framework announced
In the early hours of Monday, the mediators issued a joint communiqué outlining what was agreed. A conflict resolution cell, coordinated by Qatar and Pakistan and including the Lebanese government, will monitor the cessation of military operations in Lebanon. A High-Level Committee will oversee the political process, reporting periodically to the principal negotiators, who will direct working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions, and dispute resolution.
The High-Level Committee has agreed a roadmap to reach a final agreement within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate start of new technical talks.
Those technical discussions will continue throughout this week at the same venue. Separately, a direct communication line was established between Washington and Tehran to avoid incidents and misunderstandings, with the stated aim of ensuring safe passage for merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran walks out after Trump threats
Within roughly 80 minutes of the session starting, the Iranian delegation left the negotiating table and met with the Qatari intermediary. Iranian state media reported that the walkout came after US President Donald Trump posted what Tehran called an insulting message on Truth Social. In a Fox News interview, Trump said that if Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz it would have “no country,” and threatened to take the waterway by force and even act as a “toll collector.”
I told them that if they close the strait they will have no country.
Iran had again closed the strait over the weekend, according to its own claims, while Washington asserted that maritime traffic continued. The delegation’s departure threatened to collapse the talks, but mediators later confirmed that contacts were still proceeding.
- Planned formal signing of the Islamabad MoU is postponed after an Israeli offensive in Lebanon.
- US Vice President JD Vance travels to Switzerland.
- High-level talks begin in Bürgenstock; Iranian delegation walks out after roughly 80 minutes following Trump's comments, but contacts continue through mediators.
- Joint statement announces the 60-day roadmap, conflict resolution cell, working groups, and a communication line.
What comes next
The joint framework envisions a final accord within 60 days, but the immediate challenge is the fighting in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and Israel remain in conflict. Iran insists that the ceasefire, agreed between Tel Aviv and Beirut on Friday, must be respected. The conflict cell is designed to enforce that, though it is unclear if it will stop the violence. With technical talks continuing in Switzerland and a communication line open, the process is fragile but still alive.
