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Obburgen, Switzerland: High-level diplomatic talks in Switzerland aimed at permanently ending the Iran war ended on Monday. During this historic meeting, Iran and the US have agreed to establish a joint “de-confliction cell” (de-escalation coordination mechanism) to resolve issues to the ongoing military conflict in Lebanon.

Mediator countries issued joint statement

A joint statement has been issued by Pakistan and Qatar, which are playing the role of mediator in this dialogue. According to the statement, the Lebanese government will also be included in the newly formed ‘tension-control coordination mechanism’. The main objective of this cell will be to ensure full compliance with the agreement to end military operations in Lebanon.

However, it is not yet clear in the diplomatic circles how effective this new arrangement will prove to be in stopping the ongoing fierce conflict between Iran-backed armed organization Hezbollah and Israel. It is noteworthy that Israel occupies some parts of Lebanon and it clearly says that it should have complete freedom to take action against the extremists attacking northern Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister praised Pakistan-Qatar

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shared a message on social media platform ‘X’ early on Monday praising the tireless mediation of Pakistan and Qatar. He said these efforts had achieved “significant progress.” The three countries Pakistan, Qatar and Iran have confirmed the completion of the first round of high-level talks, although no official comment has yet come from the US in this regard. Araghchi stressed that the first real test of the talks will be whether this coordination mechanism succeeds in stopping the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Tension increased due to Trump’s ‘threat’, meeting held in presence of JD Vance

This 60-day diplomatic process began in Switzerland on Sunday in a very tense atmosphere. Tehran had expressed strong objection to US President Donald Trump’s social media threats. Trump wrote, “Iran must immediately stop its proxy forces from causing trouble in Lebanon. If they do not do so, we will again strike Iran very hard.” In response, Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Baqir Ghalibaf also retaliated and warned Trump to be careful in his statements.

Despite these bitterness, talks continued in the background. According to Iranian media, US Vice President JD Vance, US negotiator Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held an intensive meeting with Iranian representatives Mohammad Baqir Ghalibaf and Abbas Araghchi for about 80 minutes.

Contradiction on the Strait of Hormuz

Amidst these talks, there was a contradiction in the claims of both the countries regarding the strategically important ‘Strait of Hormuz’ of the Persian Gulf. Iran claimed it had again closed the vital energy supply route over the weekend, while the US administration said shipping through the route continued normally. According to Qatar and Pakistan, another round of talks will continue in Switzerland for the rest of the week as part of the diplomatic efforts.

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