Vance Reports Progress in Iran Nuclear Negotiations During Switzerland Talks]

Vance Reports Progress in Iran Nuclear Negotiations During Switzerland Talks]

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland — Vice President JD Vance said Monday that his extensive discussions with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland established a “good foundation for a successful final deal” as negotiations continue to end the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched in late February.

“The final deal is the house,” Vance told reporters after meeting with Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. “We set the foundation. We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”

Iran noted “major progress” toward ending the fighting in Lebanon and characterized that development as the first real test of the negotiation process.

The mediation effort in Switzerland, which began Sunday and extended into early Monday, encountered some challenges. However, the talks resulted in agreements, according to mediators, as technical discussions are set to continue this week.

Vance suggested the U.S. could agree to unfreeze Iranian assets for purchases of American agricultural products, including soy, corn, and wheat. He noted that Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and lead U.S. negotiator, collaborated with officials from Qatar on the proposal.

Qatar would oversee the process, and Iranian funds released upon sanctions removal “would actually go to buy American soy, American corn and American wheat for the benefit of the Iranian people,” Vance explained.

Iran, which has pushed for accessing billions in frozen assets, had not yet responded to the idea of using those funds for American agricultural purchases. The assets have remained inaccessible due to years of sanctions, banking restrictions, and legal disputes imposed by the U.S. and international community.

Pakistan and Qatar, serving as mediators, announced in a joint statement that while the high-level engagement concluded, technical negotiations will persist in Switzerland.

The mediators characterized the diplomatic engagement as demonstrating “encouraging progress.”

The interim agreement to cease hostilities in Iran, signed last week by U.S. and Iranian leaders, establishes a 60-day period for addressing issues including the future of Iran’s nuclear program amid concerns it seeks military applications—a claim Iran denies.

Vance and other U.S. officials highlighted progress across multiple areas, including establishing “mechanisms” to ensure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy waterway, remains open and that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon holds.

As Vance returned to Washington, he emphasized that technical talks are critical. “We wanted to set up a structure for that so that you could have proper political oversight, but obviously, as much as this place is very beautiful, I can’t stay here for the next 60 days,” he told reporters.

U.S. envoys Kushner and Steve Witkoff are managing much of the technical details.

The negotiations were disrupted by comments from Trump, who issued statements from afar that offended Iranian officials.

Iranian state media reported that talks paused after “publication of an insulting message by the U.S. President,” though Iranian officials ultimately remained and negotiations continued, according to a senior U.S. diplomat who spoke anonymously.

The diplomat noted discussions included Iran’s messaging regarding the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran’s military claimed it closed Saturday in response to ongoing fighting in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command disputed Iran’s assertion that the strait was closed.

Ahead of the talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged to “never back down from the right to enrich uranium,” according to state media.

Trump told Fox News on Sunday that Pezeshkian should temper his rhetoric and threatened to intervene in Iran, the news channel reported.

Trump also posted on social media during negotiations: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that mediators achieved “major progress to end the Lebanon War,” though he stressed the first “real test” would be whether mechanisms succeed in halting fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Iran insists on first addressing the Lebanon conflict. Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a party to the U.S.-Iran agreement.

A renewed ceasefire in Lebanon appeared stable Monday, with Israel’s military announcing the lifting of movement restrictions for residents near the Israel-Lebanon border.

Cautious calm persisted in Lebanon, with no Israeli strikes reported overnight and Hezbollah announcing no attacks on Israeli forces since Saturday.

The lull in fighting—the longest since the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict began March 2—represented significant progress.

“This region has been a basket case for a very long time,” Vance observed.

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