U.S. and Iran Open Nuclear Talks in Switzerland as Ceasefire Holds in Lebanon

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian negotiators met Sunday at the Bürgenstock Resort near Lake Lucerne to begin detailed talks on Tehran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. The session followed an interim deal signed last week that allows Iran to sell oil freely and access frozen assets in exchange for diluting its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the Iranian side. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar also attended.

Background to the Meeting Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after Israeli strikes in Lebanon but reopened it hours later under a renewed ceasefire. U.S. Central Command said commercial traffic continued without interruption and that millions of barrels of oil had moved through the waterway in recent days. Vance told reporters the goal is to lock in technical details within 60 days.

“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? ” Vance said. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said implementation of any document matters more than its signing. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran will not back down from its right to enrich uranium.

The two sides plan further meetings before the 60-day window closes.