Iran and the US agree on a roadmap for the final deal within 60 days

The parties agree on the establishment of a de-confliction cell involving Lebanon, facilitated by Pakistan and Qatar

Iran and the United States agreed on a roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement within 60 days of the conclusion of the first session of high-level talks held under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Switzerland, according to a joint statement issued by Pakistan and Qatar late Sunday evening.

The first round of quadrilateral talks involving Iran and the United States, with mediation by Qatar and Pakistan, concluded in Switzerland, marking the first formal follow-up commitment since the signing of the deal earlier this week.

The statement shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that the Lake Lucerne summit held in Bürgenstock was conducted in a “positive and constructive atmosphere” and that “encouraging progress has been made, including the establishment of a mechanism for further technical talks.”

Building on the Islamabad MoU, the parties agreed to establish a high-level committee that will “provide political oversight of the mediation.” The statement added that chief negotiators will regularly report to the committee and lead working groups focused on “nuclear power, sanctions and a monitoring and dispute settlement group to ensure effective implementation of the MoU.”

According to the statement, the high-level committee “agreed on a roadmap to reach a final agreement within 60 days”, paving the way for the immediate start of further technical negotiations.

The parties also agreed to establish a communication channel for the duration of the negotiations “to avoid incidents and miscommunications” with the aim of ensuring “safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.”

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In a move aimed at supporting regional stability, the statement said the parties agreed on the creation of “a de-confliction cell” involving Lebanon, facilitated by Pakistan and Qatar, to ensure compliance with “the end of military operations in Lebanon under the MoU.”

“Technical talks will continue for the rest of the week at the Burgenstock resort on all issues,” the statement said.

Pakistan and Qatar pledged to continue to facilitate the process, saying they would “continue to do their utmost to ensure that the talks continue to be conducted in a constructive atmosphere with the aim of reaching a final agreement.” The two mediating countries also expressed “sincere appreciation” to Iran and the United States for their “ongoing commitment to diplomacy and a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” while praising friendly countries for their support for the talks.

Read more: ‘The Turkiye-Qatar-Pakistan axis is worrying’, says the Israeli minister

On June 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz signed the ‘Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding’ as a mediator, formalizing the major diplomatic breakthrough between the US and Iran. Israel, which has been left out of the peace talks, has distanced itself from the US-Iran deal and continued to fight the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, also raising questions about whether the deal would last.

The US and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28, assassinating Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and military leaders on the first day. It quickly developed into a regional conflict that has killed more than 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon; drove up energy prices; renewed inflationary pressures and sparked concerns about a major food supply crisis in developing countries.

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