US and Iran agree on Hormuz shipping channel and Lebanon conflict mechanism, set 60-day roadmap
US and Iranian delegations met in Switzerland for a first round of talks and agreed to create a communication channel for the Strait of Hormuz to help ensure safe passage for commercial vessels, along with a conflict-management mechanism focused on Lebanon. Iran’s foreign minister said some sanctions pressure had eased, including exemptions for oil and petrochemical exports and the release of some frozen assets. After the announcements, oil prices fell, with WTI at $75.70 a barrel and Brent at $79.43. Despite a brief Iranian walkout later, the initial, mechanism-based steps were presented as a concrete sign of lower geopolitical risk.