Khaberni - A U.S. diplomat confirmed to Axios that the U.S.-Iranian talks in Switzerland began on Sunday morning and continued uninterrupted and in various formats, responding to Iranian media reports that the Iranian negotiating delegation left the talks venue in Buergenstock resort in protest against threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The American diplomat said the parties discussed several files, including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear deal, mechanisms for preventing friction, and the implementation of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
He clarified that Washington discussed with Tehran and the mediators the file concerning the Straits of Hormuz and the recent Iranian statements about the possibility of its closure, stressing that the American side emphasized the necessity to keep the strait fully open.
Foundations for building trust
He added that the talks made good progress on the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, and they addressed all elements of the nuclear deal, alongside discussions described as beneficial regarding the mechanisms for implementing the terms of the memorandum of understanding with Iran.
The diplomat noted that both sides discussed a plan to continue the talks, at both the high leadership and technical teams levels, pointing out that the Pakistani and Qatari mediators are helping both sides overcome differences and challenges, and that all four parties are pleased with how the talks have progressed.
He continued that the first round of talks laid the necessary foundations for building trust in the next phase, making clear that the talks at the high political level were expected to conclude today, Monday, while the technical teams will continue their discussions and are likely to stay in Switzerland to continue their work.
Restoring negotiations to their course
In contrast, the Iranian news agency reported that the mediators are trying to get the negotiations back on track, noting that the Iranian negotiating team is present in Buergenstock, and that consultations and discussions are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, MS Now quoted a senior Pakistani official saying that Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsen Naqvi was meeting with the Iranian delegation, in a final attempt to keep them at the negotiation venue.
He added that the Iranian side has retracted its position and has become more flexible "and the talks will continue for the time being."
Another source told the network that the Iranians were frustrated by Trump's statements, and that the first round ended later than expected because of this.
The Iranian Tasnim Agency reported based on a source close to the Iranian negotiating team that the team left the talks venue in protest against threats by President Trump, who said that the Iranian negotiators "will not be able to return to their country" if Tehran closes the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian News Agency also reported that the Iranian delegation left the negotiation venue, while CNN quoted an informed Iranian source saying "the talks are stalled after Trump’s threat, but they have not collapsed."
The Iranian source added to the network that "backchannel communication lines are currently working to urge the parties to return to the negotiation table."
Trump's threats came at the outset of the U.S.-Iranian talks, as he mentioned - in statements to Fox News on Sunday - that he spoke with Iranian officials and warned them against closing the Strait of Hormuz.
This comes after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced last Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz to all ships, in response to ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which Tehran asserts violate the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington, mandating a halt to the war on all fronts.
On June 15th, the United States, Iran, and Pakistani mediation announced that Washington and Tehran had reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding to end the war, which was started by Washington and Tel Aviv against Tehran on February 28th.
