US-Iran talks create Lebanon de-confliction cell in Switzerland

Summary

US-Iran talks create Lebanon de-confliction cell in Switzerland US and Iranian negotiators ended their first Switzerland round by agreeing to create a de-confliction cell on Lebanon. The move will be judged by whether it can hold a fragile truce while wider disputes over Hormuz and the nuclear programme continue. High-level talks in Switzerland aimed at finding a permanent end to the Iran war ended early on Monday, with the United States and Iran agreeing to create a "de-confliction cell" to address the fighting in Lebanon. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the mechanism would include the Lebanese government and would "ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon". The talks opened a 60-day diplomatic process, but Lebanon remained a major sticking point. Iran linked progress in the negotiations to an end to the fighting there, while Israel has said it will continue to occupy Lebanese territory and maintain freedom to strike militants launching attacks into northern Israel. Pakistan, Qatar and Iran acknowledged the end of the first round of high-level talks, while the US had not commented. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that "Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end the Lebanon War." He added that the first "real test" of the negotiations would be whether the de-confliction cell succeeded in halting the fighting in Lebanon. It remained unclear whether the new arrangement would be enough to stop fighting between Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia, and Israel. The talks in Switzerland had started tensely on Sunday after US President Donald Trump threatened Iran over Lebanon and warned that Iran's president should watch what he says. "Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble," Trump said on social media. "If they don't, we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!" Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf responded on X: "They would do better to be careful about their statements. Our armed forces are prepared to respond to them in a different manner. They may keep talking, it is we who act." US Vice President J D Vance, along with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met Qalibaf and Araghchi for what Iranian state media said was about 80 minutes. Pakistan and Qatar later said lower-level technical talks would continue in Switzerland for the rest of the week to work towards agreements that high-level officials could return to sign. A senior US diplomat involved in the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the discussions included clarifying what Iran meant by recent statements about the Strait of Hormuz. The diplomat said negotiators also discussed "mechanisms" to ensure the strait remains open and that a ceasefire in southern Lebanon is enforced, along with "robust" discussions on the nuclear issue. As the talks opened, Vance said, "The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?" He also asked whether the two sides could "change relations in the Middle East permanently." The US wants Iran to stay in negotiations over its nuclear programme amid concerns it could be used for military purposes, which Iran denies. Iran also insisted it had again shut the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, a narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf that is crucial for energy shipments, while the US said traffic continued. Vance has also sought a commitment from Tehran to keep the strait open. A renewed ceasefire in Lebanon, brokered on Saturday, appeared to be holding, and Israel's military said it would lift movement restrictions for residents near the border with Lebanon on Monday morning. But neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the US-Iran deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his forces will remain in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated, while Hezbollah has refused to stop attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing. For now, the first round of high-level talks has ended with technical discussions set to continue in Switzerland, a new mechanism proposed for Lebanon, and the wider issues of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme still central to the 60-day diplomatic push. With PTI Inputs