Technical-level talks between the US and Iran are set to begin in Switzerland as the parties seek to advance the implementation of the Pakistan-brokered Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
Iran is demanding movement on US commitments, and Washington is seeking progress on Tehran’s nuclear program and Lebanon’s ceasefire.
The talks in Bürgenstock are the first formal engagement since the Islamabad MoU was signed on 17 June. The State Department said the discussions are aimed at supporting the implementation of the agreement and maintaining dialogue between Tehran and Washington.
Who represents Iran?
Iran’s delegation is led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials, according to Iranian media.
Tehran says it will push to implement US commitments under the interim deal and seek clarity on how Washington intends to carry them out.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei has warned that the broader understanding could be in trouble unless the other side takes the necessary steps immediately.
Lebanon is also expected to remain a major issue, with Iran claiming that continued Israeli attacks threaten the ceasefire framework agreed under the broader US-Iranian understanding.
Who represents the United States?
US Vice President JD Vance leads the US delegation. He will be joined by President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Before leaving for Switzerland, Vance said Washington hoped to make progress on Iran’s nuclear program and Lebanon’s ceasefire, two issues he described as central to the talks.
The talks follow a 60-day ceasefire arrangement under the interim agreement, where the two sides are expected to address unresolved issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program and regional de-escalation.
Why are Pakistan and Qatar participating?
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Defense and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir will attend as Pakistan continues its facilitating role in the process that led to the Islamabad MoU.
The State Department says Pakistan will continue to support the understandings reached between Iran and the United States, and that the prime minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with delegations from Iran, Qatar, Switzerland and the United States.
Qatar is also participating in the negotiations. Doha has supported diplomatic efforts surrounding the US-Iran deal and remains involved in efforts to sustain the regional de-escalation process.
What could derail the negotiations?
The central challenge remains implementation.
Iran says it needs evidence that Washington is following the interim deal, while the United States wants progress on the nuclear issue and a ceasefire in Lebanon.
The talks also take place amid renewed uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have declared the waterway closed, although the US military says commercial traffic has continued.
Continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon and the risk of further exchanges with Hezbollah also remain a major threat to the broader ceasefire framework.
