U.S. and Iran hold talks in Switzerland on ending Israel-Hezbollah war as northern Israel remains tense

U.S. and Iranian officials in Switzerland have established a roadmap toward a peace deal to end the regional war, agreeing on a Lebanon deconfliction cell and mechanisms to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. While the U.S. waived oil sanctions and a fragile ceasefire brought a cautious calm to Lebanon, negotiations faced disruptions from aggressive statements by President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists troops will remain in southern Lebanon, leaving northern Israeli residents highly skeptical of the truce.

U.S.-Iran Switzerland peace talks

• ▪Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi in Oman to discuss peace efforts.
• ▪Iran agreed to allow nuclear inspectors from the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency back into the country.
• ▪U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and senior Iranian officials held lengthy initial talks in Switzerland to negotiate a permanent end to the war that began in late February 2026.
• ▪The United States and Iran agreed on a roadmap towards a final deal and discussed unfreezing Iranian assets to purchase U.S. soy, corn, and wheat.

Strait of Hormuz reopening

• ▪Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf insisted that the Strait of Hormuz will be managed by Iran in accordance with international laws.
• ▪Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz picked up with 71 confirmed transits over the weekend of June 20-21, 2026, compared to 100 to 130 daily vessels before the war.
• ▪U.S. and Iranian negotiators established mechanisms to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open following its effective closure by Iran after the February 28, 2026 attacks.

Iranian oil sanctions waiver

• ▪The U.S. Treasury issued a 60-day license waiving sanctions on Iranian oil, allowing Iranian oil to be imported into the United States for the first time since the 1990s.
• ▪Iran is demanding a full Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon as a condition for proceeding with the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding with the United States.

Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon

• ▪A cautious calm held in Lebanon on June 22, 2026, marking the longest lull in fighting since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war resumed on March 2, 2026.
• ▪Residents of the northern Israeli town of Metula expressed deep skepticism and sarcasm regarding the announcement of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon.
• ▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the Israeli military will act with full freedom in southern Lebanon and remain deployed in the buffer zone as long as necessary.
• ▪Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,175 people and wounded 12,164 in Lebanon, while direct damage to buildings in southern Lebanon is estimated at $1.38 billion.
• ▪The United States, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan agreed to establish a Lebanon deconfliction cell to ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon.

Trump statements disrupting negotiations

• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump publicly warned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to watch what he says and threatened to take over Iran during a Fox News interview.
• ▪Negotiations in Switzerland paused on June 21, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump posted social media comments threatening to hit Iran very hard if its proxies did not stop causing trouble.

3 sources