US, Iran Wrap Up High-Level Talks      06/22 06:11

   U.S. Vice President JD Vance 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.

   OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) -- U.S. Vice President JD Vance 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 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 Monday 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 on Sunday told Fox News in a phone interview that Pezeshkian should 
watch what he says and also threatened to take over Iran, according to one of 
the news channel's correspondents.

   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'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.

   Though the talks will encompass a vast array of complex matters, Iran has 
insisted on first 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 U.S.-Iran deal.

   There was cautious calm Monday in Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported 
overnight after a quiet 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.