Qatar, Pakistan issue joint statement on conclusion of 1st session of U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland

The first session of the U.S.-Iran high-level talks under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has concluded in Burgenstock, Switzerland, according to a joint statement by thQatari and Pakistani foreign ministries on Monday.

The talks included representatives from Iran, the United States, and the two mediating countries.

It was held in a "positive and constructive atmosphere," with the participants making progress, including the establishment of a mechanism for further U.S.-Iran technical negotiations, according to the statement.

The parties agreed to establish a High-Level Committee to provide political oversight of the mediation process, with working groups focusing on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring, and dispute resolution, it said.

The High-Level Committee has agreed upon a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days, laying the groundwork for the immediate commencement of further technical talks.

A communication line between the parties has also been established for the period mentioned in the MoU to avoid incidents and miscommunication, with the aim of ensuring safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, said the statement.

Moreover, the parties agreed on the creation of a de-confliction cell between the parties and Lebanon, facilitated by the mediators, to ensure adherence to the termination of military operations in Lebanon as per the MoU.

Technical talks will continue for the remainder of the week at the Burgenstock resort on all issues, the statement said.

The mediating parties will continue to do their utmost to ensure that the negotiations proceed in a constructive atmosphere with the aim of reaching a final deal.

Also on Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted by Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying that the work of the Iranian negotiating delegation has concluded for this stage, but technical teams from Iran and the United States will continue their work on Monday.

Baghaei said the two sides discussed issues including oil sales permits and the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and had made good progress.

Qatar, Pakistan issue joint statement on conclusion of 1st session of U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland

Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday that Russian forces had struck a Ukrainian military airfield and other infrastructure, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported a series of strikes against multiple Russian targets, including radar stations, fuel depots and military vehicles, over the past day.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, Russian troops had hit one Ukrainian military airfield, along with energy and transport infrastructure facilities and logistics centers used by Ukrainian forces.

Russian air defense systems intercepted eight guided aerial bombs and hundreds of fixed-wing drones, the report added.

Russian Black Sea Fleet destroyed four unmanned boats belonging to Ukrainian forces in the southwestern Black Sea, according to the report.

In an update on Sunday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that dozens of engagements had occurred on the front lines by the afternoon, with the heaviest fighting concentrated near Huliaipole in southeastern Ukraine and Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine+.

Separately, Ukrainian unmanned systems forces struck multiple Russian targets in the day, including radar stations, fuel depots and military vehicles.

In addition, the Ukrainian side said that it struck a key oil facility on the Kerch Peninsula in Crimea, and a port in Russia's Krasnodar Krai - located east of the Kerch Peninsula across the sea - in the early hours of the day, with both targets catching fire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the long-range strikes were carried out in response to Russian attacks, targeting military logistics, the oil industry and air defense facilities, at a distance of approximately 300 kilometers from the front line. Multiple targets at both ends of the Crimean Bridge were also hit.

Russia reports strikes on Ukrainian airfields, Ukraine claims hitting Russian oil facilities