First round of US-Iran talks 'encouraging'

The first round of Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated in-person talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland has wrapped up with "encouraging progress", all parties acknowledged, with a road map to a final deal agreed to be reached within 60 days.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that maintaining and implementing the Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US will help consolidate the hard-won ceasefire, open new prospects for Iran-US relations and bring peace back to the Middle East.

When meeting in New Delhi, India, with Qadir Nizamipour, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Wang said that maintaining and implementing the MoU serve not only Iran's fundamental interests, but also the shared expectations of the international community.

As Iran's comprehensive strategic partner, China has always upheld a just position and supported all efforts conducive to peace, he said.

He added that China supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and national dignity, as well as in improving relations with Gulf countries and other countries in the region.

Briefing on the latest developments in the Middle East situation and Iran-US talks, Nizamipour said that Iran appreciates China for its efforts to promote peace and cease hostilities, and expressed the hope that China can continue to play an important role in facilitating the effective implementation of the first-phase MoU.

Al Jazeera reported on Monday that Iran's top negotiators — led by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf — had left the Lake Lucerne Summit venue for Tehran.

However, Iran's technical team — led by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi — will continue the technical negotiations on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on social media platform X that the first real test of the talks would be the "Lebanon deconfliction cell", which has been set up to ensure the end of military operations in Lebanon.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Iranian state television, or IRIB, after the summit that "good progress was made" on issuing licenses for Iranian oil sales and freeing the country's frozen assets, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported, adding that both sides agreed to establish a mechanism for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Baghaei said the four-party meeting among Washington, Tehran, Islamabad and Doha that started on Sunday morning stretched for 18 hours and was disrupted when US threats were made, prompting Iran to declare it would not continue in that format.

Just before the talks officially began on Sunday, Fox News quoted US President Donald Trump as saying that he had told Iranian officials "you won't have a country" if they tried to close the strait again.

Trump also repeated an earlier threat that the US would take over the waterway and possibly charge a toll of its own, Fox News said.

Mediators Qatar and Pakistan intervened to keep the talks going, Baghaei said.

He said the Iranian negotiating team's task at this stage is finished, but technical teams would continue their work on Monday.

Pakistan and Qatar released a joint statement on Monday saying that the summit "was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere" and that encouraging progress has been made.

The statement also affirmed an agreed-upon road map toward reaching a final deal within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate commencement of further technical talks.

A communication line has been formed between the parties "to avoid incidents and miscommunication" in securing safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

"The parties agreed on the creation of a deconfliction cell between the parties, the Lebanese Republic, and facilitated by the mediators to ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon as per the MoU. Technical talks will continue for the remainder of the week at the Burgenstock resort on all issues," the statement said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Monday expressed China's support for mediation efforts by Pakistan, Qatar and other parties following the first round of talks between Iran and the US in Switzerland.

Shi Guang in New York and Mo Jingxi in Beijing contributed to this story.