Burgenstock | Pakistan

All eyes were on Burgenstock over the weekend as high-level delegations from the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan descended upon the idyllic Swiss hamlet to iron out the details of the Islamabad Memorandum. The US team of Vice President JD Vance, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, came face-to-face with the Iranian team comprising chief negotiator and parliamentary speaker, Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a rare meeting outside of Islamabad. The talks were hosted and mediated by the Pakistani team of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, along with a Qatari delegation led by Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The media circus unfolding above Lake Lucerne managed to capture moments from the historic talks that would otherwise never have been...

Key developments: US-Iran agree to a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days; technical-level talks to continue for the rest of the week in Switzerland US-Iran agree to set up a communication line” to avoid incidents in the Strait of Hormuz; agree to a mechanism to end war in Lebanon Iran’s foreign minister says “tireless” efforts by Pakistan Qatar has delivered “major progress” to end Lebanon war; says Iran has secured waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen assets and the launch of a reconstruction and development plan After hours-long negotiations in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, the United States and Iran agreed on a roadmap towards reaching a final peace deal in 60 days, a joint statement issued by mediators Pakistan and Qatar early on Monday said. The talks, which began on Sunday and stretched into Monday, were held under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed between the two sides on Thursday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ha...

After hours-long negotiations in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, the US and Iran agreed on a roadmap towards reaching a final peace deal in 60 days, a joint statement issued by mediators Pakistan and Qatar said on Monday. The talks began on Sunday and stretched into Monday, being held under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the two sides on Thursday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also signed the breakthrough interim peace deal as a mediator, marking a significant step towards end a war that began in late February. The joint statement issued by Pakistan and Qatar after the second round of direct talks between the two sides — the first having been held in Islamabad in April — said the first session of high level talks under the framework of the Islamabad MoU had concluded with the participation of representatives from Iran, the US and the mediators. “The Lake Lucerne Summit was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere. Encouraging progress has been ma...

Delegations from the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar arrived at Switzerland’s Burgenstock on Sunday for “technical-level” talks aimed at ironing out the details of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed by Tehran and Washington to bring an end to the conflict that has engulfed the majority of the Middle East. On the table today several important issues: the lifting of the US blockade of Iran, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Israeli strikes on Lebanon and Hezbollah, unfreezing of Iranian assets, and the sale of the country’s oil. Each side will participate in bilateral talks ahead of the quadrilateral talks including mediators Pakistan and Qatar scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrive at Zurich Airport, in Zurich, Switzerland, June 20, 2026. ─ Reuters Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi (C) arrives at the Burgenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne on June 21, 2026. ─ Reuters Sp...