US-Iran talks in Switzerland produced a roadmap toward a final agreement within 60 days, but only after negotiators spent much of the first day grappling with the issue that nearly derailed the process: Lebanon.
A joint statement issued by mediators Qatar and Pakistan after nearly 18 hours of talks said the parties had agreed to establish a High Level Committee to oversee negotiations, launch technical working groups and begin work toward a final deal.
But one of the most notable provisions was the creation of a deconfliction cell involving the United States, Iran and Lebanon, facilitated by the two mediators, to ensure adherence to the cessation of military operations in Lebanon under the memorandum of understanding signed last week.
The prominence of the Lebanon mechanism in both the joint statement and subsequent comments by Iranian officials underscored how central the issue had become to the talks.
Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials on Sunday at the Swiss resort of Buergenstock in the first round of negotiations aimed at implementing the memorandum between Tehran and Washington.
The talks quickly ran into difficulties.
Iranian media reported that Tehran refused to return to four-way talks after a break, citing public threats from President Donald Trump and arguing that substantive negotiations could not proceed while fighting continued in Lebanon.
US officials disputed that account.
"The Iranians never left and are still here meeting and negotiating deep into the night," a US diplomat involved in the talks said, adding that discussions covered Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear issues and implementation of the memorandum.
Iran argues that Washington has failed to uphold its commitment to help secure a halt to hostilities in Lebanon and has repeatedly linked progress in negotiations to developments on the Lebanese front.
The issue resurfaced throughout the talks and appears to have become one of the central subjects of mediation by Qatar and Pakistan.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi highlighted the new Lebanon mechanism after the talks concluded, calling it the "first real test" of the understandings reached in Switzerland.
According to the joint statement, chief negotiators will report regularly to the High Level Committee and lead working groups focused on nuclear issues, sanctions, and a monitoring and dispute-resolution mechanism designed to ensure implementation of the memorandum.
The committee has also approved a roadmap toward reaching a final agreement within 60 days and authorized the immediate start of further technical negotiations.
In addition, the parties agreed to establish a communication channel aimed at preventing incidents and misunderstandings and ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite public disagreements and repeated threats from Trump that the United States could resume military action if Iran failed to restrain its regional allies, both sides emerged from the talks with new negotiating structures and a timetable for future discussions.
For now, however, the success of the diplomatic process may depend less on nuclear issues than on whether the newly created Lebanon deconfliction mechanism can prevent another flare-up from derailing negotiations altogether.
