Iran: Switzerland Talks Focus on Lebanon Ceasefire, Oil Sales

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s negotiating team, has said the upcoming talks with the United States in Switzerland will centre on demanding that Washington fulfil its obligations under the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Tehran and the US.

Baghaei made the remarks in a post on his X account on Sunday while accompanying Iran’s negotiating team ahead of talks expected to take place between the Iranian and American delegations in Switzerland’s Bürgenstock later in the day.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to rigorously and seriously pursue the process of implementing the opposite side’s commitments,” he said.

He added that Sunday’s meeting in Switzerland is meant to follow up on the implementation of the Islamabad MoU on ending the war, signed on June 18, 2026.

Clause 13 and the Path to a Final Agreement

Baghaei explained that under clause 13 of the memorandum, negotiations toward a final agreement cannot begin until points 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 have been implemented.

“Without the implementation of these points, especially clause 1 (ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon), it is not possible to enter the stage of negotiations for a final agreement,” Baghaei emphasized.

He said that beyond these clauses, Sunday’s discussions will also review the steps required to implement points 10, which concerns Iran’s oil exports, and 11, which deals with the release of Iran’s blocked assets.

Delegations Heading to Switzerland

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf is leading the Iranian delegation to the talks, joined by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Vice Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri-Kani, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, and several deputy ministers.

US Vice President JD Vance is heading the American delegation, accompanied by presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also in Switzerland, taking part in the technical-level talks as a follow-up to the Iran-US MoU.

Background to the MoU

On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump remotely signed the MoU, bringing what Iran has described as a permanent end to the US-Israeli military campaign against the country.

The 14-point agreement commits both sides to further negotiations toward a final deal within the next 60 days. It calls for a permanent halt to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, a phased lifting of US sanctions, the removal of the naval blockade on Iran within 30 days, and the restoration of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

On Saturday, Iran’s central military command declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to all maritime traffic, citing violations of the Tehran-Washington MoU by the US and Israel.