BÜRGENSTOCK, Switzerland, June 21 (ANI) —
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday announced the start of talks between the United States and Iran, with Qatar and Pakistan serving as mediators in Switzerland.
In an official statement, the ministry expressed “its aspiration that these meetings will lead to the conclusion of a comprehensive and permanent agreement addressing all aspects covered in the Memorandum of Understanding.”
Providing details on the structure of the negotiations, the ministry said that “specialized technical and expert groups have been formed to negotiate the terms of the final agreement, which will cover all aspects of the Memorandum of Understanding” between the United States and Iran.
To ensure oversight of the agreed framework, the ministry said additional monitoring bodies had been established.
“Additionally, follow-up groups have been established to oversee the implementation of the Memorandum, monitor progress achieved, and work toward the conclusion of the final agreement,” the statement said.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry added that the current progress “reflects the commitment of all parties to moving forward in the negotiation process in good faith, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive and sustainable agreement.”
Affirming its continued mediation efforts, the ministry said Qatar would continue working with Pakistan and “all concerned parties to create a positive environment that enables the negotiations to achieve their objectives, based on its firm belief that dialogue and diplomacy represent the optimal path for addressing conflicts and resolving disputes.”
The announcement comes as diplomatic efforts gained momentum following the arrival of senior American and Iranian delegations at the Bürgenstock resort on Sunday.
The technical-level talks are being conducted under a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) finalized on June 17 by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The agreement established a 60-day window for negotiators to resolve key operational disputes and work toward long-term stability across West Asia.
Highlighting the urgency of the discussions, U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland earlier Sunday to join American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who had already been handling the framework’s technical aspects.
Meanwhile, the Iranian delegation has also assembled at the venue to present Tehran’s position. According to Iranian state television, the negotiating team includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and senior officials from Iran’s central bank and oil ministry.
The talks were originally scheduled to begin on Friday but were delayed due to recent exchanges of fire between Israel and Lebanon, which threatened to disrupt the diplomatic timetable.
A key objective of the negotiations is securing critical global energy corridors. The initial finalization of the MoU led to the reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles nearly 20 percent of global energy supplies.
The waterway had been closed since Feb. 28 following joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which prompted retaliatory actions from Tehran.
However, as negotiations begin, the status of the maritime route remains disputed. Tehran claimed on Saturday that it had once again closed the waterway following an Israeli strike in Lebanon, while the United States maintained that the route remains open, adding significant economic stakes to the ongoing talks. (ANI)
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