Author: Xiao Yanyan, Jinshi Data

The United States and Iran have launched peace negotiations in Switzerland, aiming to resolve Iran's nuclear program and permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, US President Trump once again threatened that the United States would launch attacks on Iran if Hezbollah continues to attack Israel.

Sunday got off to a confusing start - Iranian media reported that Iran had suspended talks over Trump's latest threats, but people familiar with the matter said talks were continuing.

The first round of high-level meetings between representatives of the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan kicked off at the resort of Bürgenstock in Switzerland. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other officials attended.

Vance told reporters in Switzerland on Sunday that the two sides had made "significant progress" in the past few hours. "I expect more progress to be made in the coming hours," he said.

According to AXIOS, a U.S. diplomat said that the U.S.-Iran talks began on Sunday morning local time and have almost continued in different forms since then, with basically no interruptions. The diplomat saidOne of the key topics discussed in the day's talks was "Lebanon's conflict de-escalation mechanism and the implementation of the ceasefire agreement."

The official added that the United States, Iran and the mediators also discussed the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's recent statements about the possible closure of the Strait, "We have made it clear that we want to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains fully open. We have made good progress in this regard."

The US diplomat said that the day's talks also involved "all components of the nuclear agreement". He said that the parties had a fruitful discussion on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding, discussed how to "ensure that all parties maintain a consistent position and consensus," and also discussed how to continue to advance plans for follow-up negotiations at the political level and the technical team level.

According to CCTV, on the 21st local time, according to Iranian news, a member of the Iranian negotiation team revealed that the draft on Iran’s oil sanctions exemption has been finalized, adding that the exemption will be released soon. Administrative procedures for the unfreezing of Iran's frozen funds have been carried out with the participation of the Qatari delegation.

According to CCTV, on the 21st local time, the first round of Iran-US negotiations held in Switzerland ended. According to Iranian news, after 80 minutes of negotiations, the Iran-US talks held with the participation of mediators from Pakistan and Qatar were temporarily suspended for rest and internal consultations. According to sources, Iran’s nuclear program was not discussed in the first round of talks. This round of negotiations focuses on the implementation of Article 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding and prioritizes issues related to Lebanon.

Trump threatens Iran to control Hezbollah, otherwise it will launch another strike

While the talks were ongoing,Trump posted on social media that if Iran did not "immediately stop its well-paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble," he would launch another attack on Iran.

He also warned Iran that the United States may begin imposing tolls if a deal is not reached. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump said he had told Iran's leaders directly that if the Strait of Hormuz was closed, "you won't even be able to go back to Iran" - using vulgar language.

Although the hard-won interim agreement marks a temporary end to the hostilities between the United States and Iran, Sunday's discussion is likely to be just the beginning of a long tug-of-war.

"What today really represents is the beginning of technical negotiations, which will not resolve all differences," Vance told reporters, accompanied by officials from Pakistan and Qatar, which are acting as mediators. Trump's global negotiators, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, have been involved in ongoing technical talks.

According to an informed official who requested anonymity, the resolution of the war in Lebanon will be decisive for the success or failure of the US-Iran-Switzerland talks. The person added,This means that a positive outcome in the negotiations ultimately depends on Israel’s support, and only Hezbollah’s withdrawal from Lebanon can fully ensure that the interim agreement can move forward. Other focus issues include the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. sanctions and the return of frozen Iranian assets, the person said.

The official said that Iranian representatives were very concerned about domestic reactions to the talks. For this reason, the Iranian delegation did not enter the venue before the discussion began and refused to participate in the opening televised speeches because they did not want to be seen shaking hands with US representatives before the agreement was reached.

The official added that the negotiations were complicated by trying to bridge completely different mindsets and expectations between Iranian and U.S. representatives.

The website of Israel's Channel 12 TV station reported on the evening of the 21st that Israel is considering a "small-scale withdrawal" from southern Lebanon.

Vance said that this meeting "will allow our two teams to truly sit together for the first time in history to figure out what is most important to all parties, resolve these issues, resolve these differences, and move towards a better tomorrow."

Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA stated that the main topic of the talks will be a "comprehensive ceasefire" in Lebanon, including the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the fate of Iran's frozen assets overseas.

Tehran accused Israel on Saturday of violating the Lebanese ceasefire agreement and said it would once again close the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for global energy supplies. Despite the announcement, millions of barrels of crude oil continue to be transported through the waterway.

Iran’s statement on the Strait of Hormuz casts a shadow over the talks, but the direct impact on ship traffic is unclear. Even before the ceasefire, millions of barrels of crude oil were quietly passing through the waterway every day.

Three fully loaded supertankers linked to India reappeared in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday after trying to cross the strait on Friday, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

The supertankers, each shown to be owned by or destined for India, were carrying nearly 6 million barrels of Iraqi and Kuwaiti crude. They attempted to sail toward Qeshm Island, suggesting they may have taken a route approved by Tehran.

U.S. Central Command said commercial ship traffic in the strait increased on Saturday, with 55 merchant ships transiting, transporting more than 17 million barrels of oil.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Fox News on Sunday that the United States was still convoying ships and "demonstrating we can cross the strait with or without Iran."