Iran and the United States agreed on a 60-day roadmap for a final deal to end the Middle Eastern war and set up a trilateral de‑confliction cell with Lebanon to enforce a ceasefire, mediators Qatar and Pakistan announced after the first high‑level talks at Switzerland’s Bürgenstock resort. The session was briefly interrupted when a message from President Trump threatening further strikes against Iran appeared online, but the parties returned to the table. A parallel “line of communication” was established to prevent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, and technical negotiations on nuclear issues, sanctions relief and a monitoring mechanism are to resume immediately for the remainder of the week.

The American delegation, led by Vice‑President JD Vance and senior advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, described the session as “historic” and voiced hope for a transformed relationship with Iran. Tehran’s lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, adopted a confrontational register after President Trump threatened to “hit Iran very hard” unless it reined in Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning that Iranian armed forces were “prepared to respond in a different manner”. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later hailed Qatari and Pakistani mediation for achieving “major progress” on Lebanon, adding that restrictions on oil and petrochemical exports had been lifted, frozen assets released and a major reconstruction plan launched. The mediators’ communiqué described the atmosphere as “positive and constructive” with “encouraging progress”.

The Lebanon cell, which includes the Lebanese Republic and is facilitated by the mediators, is intended to guarantee a halt to military operations in the south, where Israeli strikes against Hezbollah have persisted despite a broader cessation agreement. Israeli officials insist on retaining operational freedom against cross‑border threats, while Hezbollah demands a full Israeli withdrawal. Regional analysts caution that reconciling these contradictory positions will be the cell’s primary challenge. On the maritime front, the US military’s Central Command reported that 55 commercial vessels safely transited Hormuz on Saturday, contradicting Iranian claims of a retaliatory closure, and underscoring the economic stakes that the new communication channel is designed to manage.

The war erupted on 28 February with coordinated American and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, causing thousands of casualties and roiling global energy prices. Both sides had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding pledging to abstain from the threat or use of force. Senior negotiators are to brief a high‑level committee regularly as working groups address the nuclear programme, sanctions and compliance oversight. The 60‑day countdown begins under the shadow of deep mutual distrust, but the initial confidence‑building measures provide the first institutional test of whether this diplomatic opening can deliver a durable settlement.