Lake Lucerne Summit: US and Iran agree on 60-day roadmap for final deal; oversight committee, Hormuz communication line and Lebanon de-confliction cell finalised

US and Iran agree on a 60-day roadmap after the Lake Lucerne Summit
The summit established political oversight, technical working groups, maritime safeguards and a Lebanon de-confliction mechanism. (Image: bluewin)

On 21st June (local time), Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that mediation by Pakistan and Qatar had delivered “major progress” towards ending the war in Lebanon, alongside relief for Iran’s economy.

In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi said restrictions on Iranian oil and petrochemical exports had been waived, the blockade had been lifted, and some frozen Iranian assets had been released. He added that a major reconstruction and development plan had also been launched for Iran.

Araghchi described the proposed Lebanon de-confliction cell as the “first real test” of the agreements reached through the mediation process.

US and Iran agree on 60-day roadmap

The remarks came after Qatar and Pakistan issued a joint statement announcing the conclusion of the first round of high-level talks between Iran and the United States at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Burgenstock, Switzerland.

The first round of talks were held under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and concluded in what the mediators described as a “positive and constructive atmosphere”.

According to the statement, Iran and the US agreed to establish a High-Level Committee to provide political oversight of the mediation process. Chief negotiators will report regularly to the committee and lead working groups dealing with nuclear matters, sanctions, monitoring and dispute resolution.

The committee has approved a roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement within 60 days. Technical negotiations will begin immediately and continue at the Burgenstock resort for the remainder of the week.

A direct communication line will also be established to prevent incidents and misunderstandings and ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

The parties further agreed to create a de-confliction cell involving Iran, the US and Lebanon, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as facilitators. The mechanism will monitor compliance with the termination of military operations in Lebanon under the MoU.

Trump’s threat disrupts quadrilateral format

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Iran suspended the quadrilateral meeting format after US President Donald Trump threatened to strike the country over its support for groups operating in Lebanon. Technical discussions, however, continued.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, called Trump’s remarks a sign of American desperation and said Iran would not be intimidated. Trump had warned Tehran to stop its “proxies” in Lebanon from causing trouble or face further US strikes.

Iranian negotiators refused to shake hands with the US team

Ahead of the talks, Iranian negotiators had boycotted the planned ceremonial handshake and joint photograph with the United States delegation in Geneva, Switzerland. According to informed sources cited by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, Tehran formally rejected repeated requests from the US side and organisers to stage a joint media appearance.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the negotiating team informed organisers that they would not participate in any joint photo session with the US delegation. Following Iran’s refusal, the live broadcast and photo ceremony proceeded without the Iranian delegation. The US delegates, led by Vice President JD Vance, posed for photographs with the leaders of Pakistan and Qatar, who were attending the talks as mediators.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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