U.S. and Iran agree to 60-day roadmap for final deal

After 18 hours of consultations at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, the United States and Iran agreed to a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal, giving diplomacy a narrow opening after a tense opening round. Qatar and Pakistan acted as mediators and issued the joint statement through Qatar’s foreign ministry, while technical talks were set to continue through the end of the week.

The agreement created a high-level committee to provide political oversight of the process, along with working groups focused on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring mechanisms and dispute resolution. It also established a deconfliction mechanism aimed at reducing the risk of military incidents, helping ensure safe commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz and advancing an end to hostilities in Lebanon.

The talks began under sharp pressure. Donald Trump had repeated threats of renewed attacks on Iran, and Tehran again closed the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes for the negotiations and for shipping through one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Mediators said the atmosphere shifted as the discussions went on and that progress was made despite the confrontation at the outset.

Abbas Araghchi said the negotiations produced major progress and said Iran secured waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen assets, the lifting of a blockade on its ports and a reconstruction-and-development plan. Iranian state media said the first round of consultations lasted about 18 hours, underscoring how much ground the sides had to cover before they could settle on even a temporary framework.

JD Vance led the U.S. delegation, arriving in Switzerland after a delayed departure, and the meetings also included Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Technical teams were expected to keep working through the week, with the 60-day timetable now setting the pace for whether the latest opening can become a durable agreement rather than another failed round of nuclear diplomacy.