Hormuz access talks made good progress, according to a U.S. diplomat who spoke to Axios ahead of technical-level meetings in Switzerland.
The diplomat said U.S. and Iranian officials held near-continuous talks from Sunday morning through Monday. The discussions covered several issues. However, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open was a key topic after recent Iranian statements raised the prospect of a closure.
The diplomat said the United States, Iran and mediating parties made clear they want the strait to stay fully open. The diplomat described the outcome on that issue as good progress. Meanwhile, the talks also focused on deconfliction steps for Lebanon and on enforcing the existing ceasefire there.
Hormuz Access Talks Move to Technical Stage
The diplomat said the talks also covered every part of the nuclear deal. The sides discussed how to carry out the memorandum of understanding and how to keep all parties aligned. Additionally, they worked on a framework to keep momentum going at both the political level and among technical teams.
The diplomat gave a positive view of the talks. The diplomat said all four parties appeared satisfied with how the discussions went. The diplomat also credited mediators with helping narrow gaps between the sides.
Switzerland Meetings Follow Political Talks
High-level political talks are expected to end on Monday. After that, technical teams will likely stay in Switzerland to work on implementation details. Therefore, the next phase looks set to focus on practical steps rather than broad political statements.
The diplomat described the latest round as an early move to build trust. Oil futures for the new week are due to begin trading at 6 p.m. U.S. Eastern time.
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