Saudi channel Al-Hadath reports from its sources that the first round of direct technical talks between the US and Iran will take place Friday in Zurich, Switzerland. The discussions are expected to cover legal aspects of sanctions removal, Iranian frozen assets in Qatar, and the nuclear file, with Qatar and Pakistan participating and Turkey and Saudi Arabia joining some sessions. According to the report, non-public meetings will also address Lebanon and Hezbollah.
Saudi channel Al-Hadath added details to the rapidly evolving US-Iran diplomatic track, reporting from its own sources that the first direct technical talks between Washington and Tehran will take place Friday in Zurich, Switzerland. This comes after a day of conflicting signals: earlier, a Swiss ministry statement and Iranian official comments placed the potential meeting at Bürgenstock, while other reports from Al-Arabiya and Iranian officials cited Geneva and Zurich. Al-Hadath's report is the first to name Zurich specifically and to detail the participation of Qatar and Pakistan in the talks themselves, with Turkey and Saudi Arabia joining some sessions. The channel also reports that non-public sessions will discuss Lebanon and Hezbollah — a topic Iran has linked to the integrity of the broader framework. As The Zioneer reported at 13:11, Al-Arabiya sources had earlier described the talks as covering sanctions removal, frozen assets, and the nuclear file, without specifying the venue or participants beyond the US and Iran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry then cast doubt on the meeting's finality at 11:20, saying it was being reconsidered, while the Swiss ministry at 10:23 confirmed a Friday meeting at Bürgenstock with Qatar and Pakistan. This report from Al-Hadath appears to resolve the venue question in favor of Zurich and corroborates the broader participation. No formal US or Iranian confirmation of this specific report has been issued yet.
2 developments
- DevelopingSwiss ministry: delegations from Iran, US, Qatar, Pakistan to meet Friday at Bürgenstock for preliminary talks on deal implementation
- StrongTrump tells NYT: Iran nuclear talks will begin Friday in Switzerland; 15-20 year enrichment suspension on table
- StrongPreparatory meetings for Iran deal signing to begin in Qatar this week
- DevelopingIran's deputy FM: US-Iran talks set for Geneva on Friday to set negotiation terms
Source and signal
- Internal intake