American and Iranian negotiators agreed Sunday to establish a new deconfliction cell for Lebanon after days of contradictory statements, confusion over cease-fire terms and mounting fears that a single misunderstanding could reignite fighting in the region.
Tehran and Washington agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” involving the United States, Iran and Lebanon to “ensure the adherence of the termination of military operations in Lebanon” outlined under the MoU, according to a joint statement released by mediators Qatar and Pakistan,
The agreement emerged from the first high-level talks held under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which concluded at Switzerland’s luxury Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne.
While negotiators touted broader progress toward a final agreement, the creation of the deconfliction mechanism appeared to be the most concrete of the summit’s most immediate and practical achievements.
The move comes after several days of uncertainty surrounding the cease-fire, with Iran giving mixed messages on the status of the Strait of Hormuz and officials on both sides offering conflicting interpretations of what military activity fell below the threshold of the ongoing cease-fire and who and how violations would be determined.
“A communication line between the parties has been formed for the [60 days] to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz,” the parties said in the statement.
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