#FirstRoundOfUSIranTalksConcludes

June 21, 2026 talks in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.

Who was there

US delegation: Vice President JD Vance led the team

Iran delegation: Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi

Mediators: Pakistan and Qatar

What happened in the first round

Timing: Talks began Sunday June 21 at the Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne

Duration: Suspended after ∼80 minutes for internal consultations

Atmosphere: Mediators called it "positive and constructive"

Key points discussed

MoU implementation was Iran’s priority: Iran said the US must fulfill commitments under the memorandum of understanding signed last week. Ghalibaf said “When implementing a ceasefire and ending the war becomes difficult, we can resolve it either through missiles or through negotiations”

Lebanon ceasefire focus: Both sides agreed to create a "de-confliction cell" for Lebanon, facilitated by mediators. Vance said before departing: “I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon cease-fire issue”

Nuclear issues not yet discussed: Sunday’s talks were described as “purely technical in nature”. Iran’s UN ambassador said technical groups would be set up within days to discuss sanctions and nuclear activities, but denied nuclear talks had started

Strait of Hormuz tensions: Iran announced it had closed the Strait over Israeli operations in Lebanon. Trump threatened to "hit Iran very hard again" if Hezbollah wasn’t stopped. The US and Iran later agreed to a communication line "to avoid incidents... with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz"

Outcomes reported

Roadmap agreed: High Level Committee agreed on a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days

Next steps: Technical talks to continue through the week at Bürgenstock. Future sessions to be overseen by senior officials including Vance, Ghalibaf, and Araghchi

US reaction: Vance said talks were “going great” and had “made great progress”. The US waived Iran sanctions for 60 days from June 23

Trump warning: Alongside Vance’s optimism, Trump repeated threats to resume strikes if shipping through Hormuz was disrupted

Note: Some details differ slightly by outlet. Iran’s Deputy FM said the talks “concluded successfully”, while Reuters noted Iran walked out Sunday night in protest at Trump’s threats before returning.