The United States and Iran sat down for direct negotiations at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland on June 20-21, with Pakistan and Qatar serving as mediators. The timing was, to put it mildly, complicated: Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the very same day talks began.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20-25% of global oil trade.
What actually happened in Switzerland
The negotiations were built on a memorandum of understanding designed to address two major issues: revitalizing passage through the Strait of Hormuz and tackling aspects of Iran’s nuclear program. The framework gave both sides a demanding 60-day timeline to make progress.
Iran justified its closure announcement by citing Israeli military actions in Lebanon and what Tehran described as US violations of an interim agreement. US military officials pushed back immediately, asserting that maritime traffic continued flowing through the waterway despite Iran’s declaration.
