Qatar PM Calls Burgenstock MoU a Turning Point at Switzerland Meeting

Qatar’s prime minister told delegates at a high-level meeting in Burgenstock, Switzerland, that an MoU signed earlier in the week marked a potential turning point for regional stability. Speaking 18 minutes before 17:45 GMT on 2026-06-21, he said the past period had been among the most difficult the region had witnessed and expressed hope that the agreement would allow states to focus on development and cooperation.

He added that technical talks would be required to turn commitments into concrete results.

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in a CBS interview that he had spent four and a half hours with President Trump on Friday. Graham stated that if diplomatic efforts with Iran fail, President Trump plans to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz and impose tolls, with the United States charging a fee for passage to cover operational costs.

Iranian negotiator Hussein Gurbanzadeh told state television that today’s talks addressed Iran’s frozen assets and arrangements for their release. He said discussions in Switzerland also covered a temporary exemption from sanctions on Iranian oil and its derivatives, and that a final draft proposal on the matter has been completed.

U.S. Threats. U.S. threats had not produced results and warned that Iran would act on its own terms. Mohammad Mokhbar, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, told Fars news agency that Tehran will seek to change some rules regulating the Strait of Hormuz within legal and international mechanisms while using all legal capacities to protect national interests.

An agreed ceasefire in Lebanon took effect on Friday. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stated that Israel will not remain in Lebanon and that Hezbollah will respond to any ceasefire violation by Israel. Israeli officials said troops remain free to act without restriction to eliminate threats in Lebanon despite the ceasefire.