The United States and Iran concluded their first round of talks on Monday morning, aimed at reaching a lasting solution to the war in the Middle East. The negotiations, held in Switzerland, are expected to last all week.
Here is a summary of the initial announcements made at the end of the meeting: Tehran and Washington agreed "on a roadmap to reach a final agreement within 60 days, thus laying the foundation for the immediate start of further technical discussions," the Pakistani and Qatari mediators wrote.
One of the key issues will be Iran's nuclear program. In the text of the already signed memorandum of understanding, Iran promises "neither to acquire nor develop nuclear weapons." The two sides also agreed to establish a "line of communication aimed at ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz," a strategic waterway through which approximately 20% of the world's hydrocarbons pass. Iran had announced the closure of the strait following Israeli attacks in Lebanon against its ally Hezbollah. Commercial traffic must be fully restored within thirty days of the strait being cleared of mines, according to the memorandum of understanding.
The Lebanese issue remains: Tehran demands that the ceasefire agreement also apply to Lebanon, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the army will not withdraw from the south of the country. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtchi, however, reported "significant progress toward ending the war in Lebanon."
Araghtchi also announced that "Iranian oil and petrochemical exports are no longer restricted, the blockade has been lifted, some frozen assets have been unfrozen, and a major reconstruction and development plan for Iran has been launched." According to the memorandum of understanding, this plan is expected to amount to "at least $300 billion." The United States, whose delegation is led by Vice President J.D. Vance, has not commented on these announcements.
(Unioneonline)
