Talks with Iranian officials set ‘good foundation’ for deal to end war – Vance

US vice president JD Vance has said that peace talks with Iran created a “good foundation for a successful final deal” to end the war that began at the end of February.

“The final deal is the house,” Mr Vance told reporters. “We set the foundation. We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”

Mr Vance’s comments came after he and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, on Monday 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 on Sunday and stretched into the early hours of Monday, had rocky moments. But the talks also led to some agreements between the two sides.

The vice president also suggested that the US administration could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets for purchases of US soy, corn and wheat.

He said that Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump and one of the lead US negotiators, came up with the idea with officials from Qatar.

Mr Vance said Qatar would have approval over the process, but Iranian money that would be accessible as sanctions were lifted “would actually go to buy American soy, American corn and American wheat for the benefit of the Iranian people”.

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.

The mediators hailed what they called “encouraging progress” made during the talks.

A senior US 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 US and Iran were jolted by blistering statements from Mr 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 US president”, according to Iranian state media.

Ultimately, the Iranians remained on site and negotiations continued, according to the senior US diplomat.

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

Mr Trump did not 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.

Mr Trump on Sunday told Fox News in a phone interview that Mr Pezeshkian should watch what he says and also threatened to take over Iran, according to one of the news channel’s correspondents.

Mr Trump also 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 is unclear when Mr Vance will depart Switzerland. Trump envoys Mr Kushner and Steve Witkoff are handling many of the technical details on behalf of the US 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.

A senior US 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 on Saturday in response to continued fighting in Lebanon. US Central Command has disputed that Iran closed the strait again.

https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2068840668873597237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The interim deal to end the fighting in Iran, signed last week by the leaders of the US and Iran, outlines a 60-day period for negotiators to settle the future of Tehran’s nuclear programme 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.

Though the talks will encompass a vast array of complex matters, Iran first wants to focus on addressing the fighting in Lebanon.

Saturday’s renewed ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to be holding, and Israel’s military said it would lift movement restrictions for residents near the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday morning. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the US-Iran deal.

There was cautious calm on Monday in Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight after a day of quiet on Sunday. Hezbollah likewise has not announced any attacks on Israeli forces since Saturday.

The lull in fighting in Lebanon is the longest since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war on March 2.