US Vice President JD Vance has confirmed that the immediate goal of the latest round of US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland isn't a finished deal — it's setting up the framework for future technical talks. Speaking ahead of and during the discussions, Vance laid out a deliberately modest set of priorities even as fighting in Lebanon and a fresh dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatened to overshadow the diplomacy.

Vance's Stated Priorities

Vance said his top priorities in negotiations with Iran are to set up the structure of the talks, "make progress" on the nuclear issues, and achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon. He said the first round of talks is intended to focus on "getting the actual structure and negotiation in place," with working-level talks among technical experts expected to follow. Before departing Washington, Vance told reporters, "I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on," adding he was "looking forward to starting the technical talks with the Iranians, the Pakistanis, and the Qataris".

Once on the ground, Vance reinforced that this round was about laying groundwork rather than producing immediate breakthroughs. He said the day's talks in Switzerland marked the beginning of technical negotiations, noting they would not bring about an immediate resolution, describing the session as one that's "not going to solve every disagreement, but it's going to allow us to sit together as teams for the first time, really in history, to figure out what matters most to the respective parties".

Who's at the Table

The Switzerland talks brought together an unusually wide cast of officials. Iran's negotiating team is led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's Parliament, and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council Ali Bagheri, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Switzerland ahead of Vance, while the prime ministers of Pakistan and Qatar, along with Pakistan's army chief, also traveled to serve as mediators. The IAEA's director general, Rafael Grossi, was also slated to participate in the technical discussions.

According to mediators, the talks now have a defined operational structure. Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed that specialised technical and expert groups have been formed to negotiate the terms of the final agreement, covering all aspects of the Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran.

Lebanon and Hormuz Cast a Shadow

The diplomatic groundwork is unfolding under serious strain. Vance's departure for Switzerland was originally delayed after fighting escalated in Lebanon and Iranian officials initially canceled plans to attend. He characterized the Lebanon situation as improving, saying "despite the headlines, things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit," while crediting Secretary of State Marco Rubio's de-escalation efforts.

Tensions over the Strait of Hormuz added further complications. Iran said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz until Israel halts strikes in Lebanon, while the US military denied Iran's claim to control the waterway. A US Central Command spokesperson told Reuters, "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," directly disputing Tehran's claim that it had re-closed the passage. President Trump weighed in as well, with reports noting that he threatened to charge US tolls in the strait if a final deal isn't reached within 60 days, while Iran said it would charge "NO TOLLS".

Early Signs of Progress

Despite the rocky backdrop, Vance struck an optimistic tone once discussions got underway. He said, "We've already made great progress over just the last few hours, and I expect that we will make additional progress in the hours to come," and added that the US is willing to "fundamentally transform" its relationship with Iran if Tehran abandons nuclear weapons ambitions and stops driving regional instability. He acknowledged there would be "disagreements about precisely how to get" toward regional peace, but said he felt "great about where we are in Lebanon," even though "there's still some additional wood to chop".

For continued, real-time coverage of the negotiations as they progress, the Reuters Middle East desk remains a leading, authoritative source tracking developments from Switzerland.

What Comes Next

With the structure for technical talks now reportedly in place, the real test will be whether expert-level groups can make tangible headway on Iran's nuclear stockpile, the Lebanon ceasefire, and Hormuz shipping rights within the 60-day negotiating window. Vance's limited time on the ground means much of that work will fall to technical teams and mediators from Pakistan and Qatar in the days ahead — a process that remains fragile given how quickly the Lebanon and Hormuz disputes have flared up even before substantive talks could begin.