<\/p>\n
A joint statement released by Qatar and Pakistan on Monday, which are facilitating the negotiations, said both sides had agreed to a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final agreement on key issues, including Iran\u2019s nuclear programme and regional security concerns.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to the statement, technical discussions will continue throughout the week at a resort in Buergenstock, as negotiators work to define the practical details of a potential deal.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The talks opened under strain, with Iran announcing it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route for global oil supplies. The move heightened concerns over energy markets and global economic stability.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump responded by repeating earlier warnings, saying Washington could resume military action if Iran attempted to restrict the waterway.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Reports indicate Trump also suggested the US could seek control over the strait and impose tolls on shipping, reflecting the high stakes surrounding the negotiations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Despite these tensions, officials said both sides opted to proceed with dialogue, with mediators framing the agreement on a roadmap as an early sign of progress.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The White House did not immediately confirm whether political-level talks had formally concluded, although the continuation of technical discussions suggests negotiations remain active.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Trump has previously said the memorandum of understanding reached last week was aimed at preventing a broader economic crisis, particularly in light of rising oil prices triggered by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Markets responded quickly to signs of de-escalation. Oil prices, which had surged earlier in the conflict, continued to decline following news of the talks and the proposed roadmap.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brent crude fell by more than a Dollar to trade at approximately $79.44 per barrel, extending a downward trend seen over the past week.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
–Reuters\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37674,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[44,26],"class_list":["post-37673","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","news-type-general_news","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"The first round of high-level talks between the United States (US) and Iran has concluded in Switzerland, with mediators confirming an agreement on a path toward a broader deal despite early tensions.","published_date":"","news_description":"The first round of high-level talks between the United States (US) and Iran has concluded in Switzerland, with mediators confirming an agreement on a path toward a broader deal despite early tensions.","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37675,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/37673\/revisions\/37675"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=37673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}