Iran FM says progress in war talks, Lebanon ceasefire remains key test

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has praised Pakistan and Qatar for their “tireless” mediation efforts, saying important progress has been made toward ending the war on Iran. However, he said the “real test” will be whether the ceasefire in Lebanon is properly implemented.

In a post on X, Araqchi said: “Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War. Oil and petrochem exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction & development plan launched for Iran. 1st real test: Lebanon deconfliction cell.”

At the same time, high-level technical talks between Iran and the United States were held in Switzerland. These talks were focused on checking how US commitments under a June 18 MoU are being implemented.

Iranian official Esmail Baghaei said the meetings started in a “positive” atmosphere but later faced problems after US statements. He said:
“We had a very long day. The meetings started on Sunday morning. During the quadrilateral session, threatening remarks from America were published, which led Iran to announce that it would not continue the quadrilateral meeting under such conditions,”

He added that Pakistan and Qatar tried to keep the talks going, but Iran refused to continue in a quadrilateral format. Baghaei also said progress was discussed on oil sales permissions and releasing frozen Iranian assets. He added that Iran wants full implementation “on all fronts,” and without it “entry into the negotiation phase for the final agreement is not possible.”

He also said Iran has “absolutely not forgotten previous experiences” and is carefully following US commitments. He confirmed work is underway for safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

A joint statement from mediators said the Switzerland meeting was held in a positive environment. It read:
“The Lake Lucerne Summit was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Encouraging progress has been made including the creation of a mechanism for further technical talks,”

The statement also said a High Level Committee will guide the process and oversee working groups on nuclear issues, sanctions, and dispute resolution. A roadmap has been set to reach a final deal within 60 days.

Mediators also agreed on a communication line for safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and a de-confliction mechanism involving Lebanon to reduce military tensions.

However, Iran later said progress depends on full implementation of the ceasefire clause, including Lebanon.

According to reports, talks started around 3:00 PM and were paused after about 90 minutes. After US President Donald Trump’s remarks, Iran refused to return to the quadrilateral talks.

The Islamabad MoU, signed on June 18 after Pakistan-led diplomacy, calls for an “immediate and permanent” termination of military operations on “all fronts”, including Lebanon.

It also includes lifting a US naval blockade within 30 days, unfreezing Iranian assets, and creating a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran. A final agreement is expected within 60 days.

But tensions remain high. Israeli strikes have continued in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire commitments.

Iran briefly closed the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the US of not fulfilling commitments.

US President Donald Trump also issued warnings, saying “You won’t have a country”.

Iran’s negotiator responded by saying: “Don’t they think that if their threats had any effect, they wouldn’t be in this desperate situation today? No matter how much they talk, it is we who take action”.