Iran confirms start of technical talks with US in Switzerland

TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed Monday that technical negotiations between Iran and the United States have begun in Switzerland.

Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, Baghaei said Iran's delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi.

The technical talks come in continuation of the high-level consultations between Iranian and US delegations held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday with the mediation of Pakistan and Qatar, IRNA reported.

Commenting on Sunday's talks, Baghaei said in a post on X on Monday that executive mechanisms were envisaged to monitor implementation of the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with technical-level discussions set to continue.

He listed topics discussed as establishing a multi-party mechanism to end hostilities in Lebanon, Iran's oil and petrochemical exports, and the release of Iranian frozen assets.

According to a joint statement issued Monday by Pakistan and Qatar, the parties to the first session of high-level talks under the MoU agreed to establish a high-level committee, which will provide political oversight on the mediation.

The committee has agreed on a roadmap toward reaching a final deal within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate commencement of further technical talks.

The parties also agreed to create a de-confliction cell involving the parties and Lebanon, facilitated by the mediators, to ensure adherence to the termination of military operations in Lebanon, as per the MoU.

Meanwhile, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Monday that Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to visit Pakistan on Tuesday.