MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The U.S. and Iran had a long first day of negotiations in Switzerland with the goal of permanently ending the war.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
President Trump was not there, but was close to his phone and made bellicose remarks on social media that threatened to upend the talks just as they were starting. The two sides have agreed previously to a roadmap and have 60 days to resolve a host of issues.
MARTIN: For details, we're joined by NPR's Greg Myre, who is in Tel Aviv. Greg, hello to you.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Michel.
MARTIN: So they've given themselves 60 days. How did Day 1 go?
MYRE: Well, it was pretty rocky. Vice President JD Vance led the U.S. delegation in Switzerland and he sounded an upbeat note, but President Trump threatened in social media posts and in interviews to again attack Iran. At one point, the Iranian media said the country's delegation was walking out because of Trump's comments, though that didn't actually happen. The talks lasted into the early hours of Monday.
The two countries mediating the talks, Pakistan and Qatar, put out a statement saying there was encouraging progress, and the U.S. and Iran have agreed to a roadmap. This includes a working group on the war in Lebanon, which will clearly be a key part of these talks. They also set up a line of communication to deal with the Strait of Hormuz, and lower-level working groups are now set to continue meetings all week.
MARTIN: OK. Can we - I'm going to ask you about all these things and I'll take them one by one. First, what is happening with the war in Lebanon?
MYRE: You know, yesterday was a good day. U.N. peacekeepers said they did not record shooting by either side Sunday, the first such day since the fighting erupted on March 2. It's now midday here today and so far it remains quiet. But it's still very combustible. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the first real test of this peace effort is the Lebanon war. There was very heavy fighting Friday and Saturday.
Israeli troops remain miles inside Southern Lebanon. The Israeli leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, says Israel will keep troops there for as long as it takes, he says, to protect northern Israel. Hezbollah is also defiant, saying the war will not be settled until Israeli troops leave Lebanon.
MARTIN: OK. Let's turn to the Strait of Hormuz. Is oil still flowing today?
MYRE: Yeah, Michel, it's a hard one. It's kind of unclear at the moment. Iran said over the weekend it was closing the strait because of the fighting in Lebanon, but that was before the fighting died down in the last day and a half. Now U.S. Central Command says the strait remains open, quote, "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow." Now, according to groups monitoring shipping traffic, dozens of ships passed through the strait Saturday.
This was one of the busiest days, maybe the busiest day since the waterway was closed nearly four months ago. But the traffic slowed down sharply on Sunday. We're keeping watch today trying to see what's happening.
MARTIN: And, of course, the big issue remains Iran's nuclear program. Was there any movement on that front?
MYRE: So a U.S. diplomat who is not authorized to speak publicly said there were, quote, "robust discussions on all elements of the nuclear deal. Now, the statement by the Pakistan and Qatar mediators mentioned the nuclear issue as one of several discussed but gave no details. It seems the immediate focus is these urgent questions, like the war in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. certainly expects to address Iran's nuclear program in-depth and wants a deal, but it may not be the top of the agenda right now.
MARTIN: Interesting, since that was the stated reason for starting all this. So that is NPR's Greg Myre in Tel Aviv. Greg, thank you.
MYRE: Sure thing, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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