U.S. and Iranian negotiators are in Switzerland on Sunday of their interim agreement to end the .
A team led by U.S. Vice President , including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, is to meet with g Iranian negotiators led by parliamentary Speaker and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Pakistani envoys are also in place, as well as Qatari mediators, for the technical-level discussions to end the conflict that began in late February.
Vance said he was optimistic about making progress in talks about and a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.
On the eve of the talks, Tehran announced it has closed the again over Israel鈥檚 ongoing . The between the U.S. and Iran is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon, as well as calling for billions of dollars of Iran鈥檚 assets to be unfrozen.
U.S. President has threatened to impose American tolls in the strait if a final deal with Iran isn鈥檛 reached in 60 days. The interim agreement calls for toll-free travel for 60 days in the waterway that is vital for the world’s oil supply.
Here is the latest:
Talks in Switzerland will focus on the Israel-Hezbollah war, Iran says
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei says Tehran will mainly focus during the talks on Sunday on the ongoing fighting in Lebanon.
Tehran insists that the deal鈥檚 implementation start with a cessation of all fighting 鈥� including between Israel and Hezbollah.
Baghaei said the U.S. 鈥渉as been unable or unwilling鈥� to hold .
Iran will meet in the morning with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, and in the afternoon, there will be a four-way meeting including the U.S. negotiating team. There is currently only one day of negotiations planned, Baghaei told the state news agency.
鈥淭he implementation of any document is more important than its signing,鈥� Baghaei also said Sunday.
Iran鈥檚 president has said that Iran will maintain its right to a nuclear program.
鈥淲hat is certain is that we will never back down from the right to enrich uranium, and the other side is also forced to accept it,鈥� Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday, according to state media.
A temporary lull in Israeli strikes in Lebanon
As the U.S.-Iran talks were to kick off in Switzerland, a ceasefire appears to be holding in Lebanon, a lull that came after another day of heavy fighting.
Lebanon鈥檚 Health Ministry reported over 50 killed in Israeli strikes since the deal was signed on Thursday. Five Israeli soldiers were also killed.
Israel says it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure on Saturday, including a tunnel network in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit.
But by Sunday morning, residents in southern Lebanon reported a lull in Israeli strikes. There also were no reports of Hezbollah fire from the Israeli side.
Israel鈥檚 military has received instructions to uphold the ceasefire, and said it is only acting defensively, according to an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines.
鈥擬elanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel
Pakistani mediators also in place in Switzerland
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir are also in Switzerland for the high-level U.S.-Iran talks, the prime minister’s office said without providing further details.
The technical-level talks at B眉rgenstock Resort near the Swiss city of Lucerne are being held after Sharif dispatched his special envoy, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, to Tehran to persuade Iranian authorities to send a delegation to Switzerland. The meeting was originally scheduled for Friday but was delayed because of concerns raised by Iran.
Naqvi later informed Islamabad that Iran was willing to attend the talks. Pakistan subsequently conveyed the development to Washington.
Strait of Hormuz is once again a challenge
The strait has emerged as a key focus, with Iran鈥檚 joint military command saying on Saturday that it was closed again because of the U.S. 鈥渃lear breach of its commitments鈥� by failing to end the war. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces are battling the militant Hezbollah group.
The U.S. disputed Iran鈥檚 announcement, with the U.S. Central Command saying that traffic continues to flow and that 55 merchant ships transited on Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.
Ships began transiting after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed last week. The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran鈥檚 ports and now allows Tehran to sell its oil freely 鈥� terms that have left some in U.S. Congress asking .
The interim deal signed by Trump and Iranian President gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, but the time can be extended.
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