(File Photo: Source for Photo: U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, meets with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during high-level talks aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict, at the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, in Switzerland, Sunday, June 21, 2026. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — High-level negotiations in Switzerland seeking a permanent end to the Iran war concluded early Monday, with lower-level talks planned for the rest of the week as Iran and the United States agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to address the fighting in Lebanon.

A statement from mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the cell would include the Lebanese government and would “ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon.” But it remains unclear whether that will be enough to stop fighting between the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah and Israel, which occupies Lebanon and insists it must maintain a free hand to attack militants who are launching attacks into northern Israel.

The U.S. offered no immediate comment, while Iran praised the meditators’ work.

The talks marked the start of a 60-day diplomatic process that seeks to reach a permanent deal to end the Iran war. But the fighting in Lebanon remains one of the key sticking points.

Meanwhile, Iran insisted it had again shut the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf crucial to energy shipments, while the U.S. said traffic continued.