US and Iran wrap high-level talks after making ‘encouraging progress,’ mediators say 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, 3rd from right, and Speaker of the Islamic Parliament of Iran, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, 2nd from right, at Lake Lucerne Summit at the Buergenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, Sunday[AP Photo]

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf yesterday wrapped up a lengthy round of initial talks aimed at solidifying a permanent end to the war between the countries.

The mediation effort in Switzerland, which started Sunday and stretched into the early hours of Monday, had rocky moments. But the talks also led to some agreements between the two sides.

In a joint statement, mediators Pakistan and Qatar said that while the high-level engagement had ended, technical negotiations would continue in Switzerland this week.

Vance was expected to make remarks from the resort at 1 p.m. local time, his office said.

The mediators hailed what they called “encouraging progress” made during the talks. A senior U.S. diplomat claimed progress on multiple fronts, including the establishment of “mechanisms” to ensure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy shipments, remains open and that a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon holds.

Yet the talks between the United States and Iran were jolted by blistering statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who, from thousands of miles away from the Swiss negotiating venue at a mountainside resort near Lake Lucerne, was firing off comments that offended the Iranians.

Iranian state media said talks had paused after the “publication of an insulting message by the U.S. President,” according to Iranian state media.

Ultimately, the Iranians remained on site and negotiations continued, according to the senior U.S. diplomat, who was not authorized to comment publicly and briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

Iranian state television reported yesterday that the Iranian delegation had left the summit site to head to the airport in Zurich to fly back to Tehran.

Trump didn’t attend what was dubbed the “Lake Lucerne Summit,” but his presence certainly loomed large.

Ahead of the talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had vowed to “never back down from the right to enrich uranium,” according to state media.

Trump continued to issue warnings against Iran on social media, posting as negotiators worked: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

It’s unclear when Vance will depart Switzerland. Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are handling many of the technical details on behalf of the U.S. delegation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that Pakistani and Qatari mediators delivered “major progress to end the Lebanon War.” But, he added, the first “real test” of negotiations would be whether the mechanism succeeded in halting the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The senior U.S. diplomat said among the issues discussed was Iran’s messaging as it related to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s military said it closed Saturday in response to continued fighting in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command has disputed that Iran closed the strait again.

The interim deal to end the fighting in Iran, signed last week by the leaders of the U.S. and Iran, also sets a 60-day period for negotiators to settle the future of Tehran’s nuclear program amid concerns that it wants to use it for military purposes, a claim Iran denies. The fate of frozen Iranian assets, among other thorny issues, are also on the agenda. AAMER MADHANI, JAMEY KEATEN and SEUNG MIN KIM, OBBUERGEN,  MDT/AP