New Delhi: Audrey Hepburn tied the knot here. Nehru was here, with daughter Indira, too. Jimmy Carter was, as was Henry Kissinger, and ‘James Bond’ Sean Connery. About 2,000 feet above Lake Lucerne and almost twice that above sea level, The Burgenstock is one of the prettiest resorts in the world, reachable by a funicular railway that makes it a where-the-eagles-dare kind of place.
Intrigue lurking under the veneer of diplomacy may be par for the course; ugliness is not. But nobody told the latest visitors that. As delegations from the US and Iran got some facetime overseen by the kindly Qatari and Pakistani mediators of the West Asia peace-deal-in-progress, all sorts of attitudes were on display for the world to see.
The Iranians came to table with a sense of being wronged, and secure in the belief that they have won the war in West Asia—so far, at least. Plain truth beat plainspeak as the delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf, flew in aboard Minab168—a flight commemorating the deaths of schoolgirls in one of the first US strikes of the war.
Iran’s victimhood had landed in neutral territory, the delegation also included the head of their central bank, deputy oil minister, and chairman of the National Iranian Oil Company.
The Iranians launched the first strike, targeting the PR dividend from the meeting. The American team, led by made-to-order contrite Vice-President J.D. Vance wanted a picture with the Iranians before the talks began. No, said the Iranians to recording this momentous occasion when Vance and Araghchi would be in the same room.
This was humiliation. No one in modern history has made America wait and beg for negotiations. This was the moment JD Vance should have returned to Washington. The Islamic regime did this on purpose. Trump, if you don't understand politics, you should at least understand… pic.twitter.com/NVWAxr8NMH
— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) June 21, 2026
Videos on X showed the decidedly undiplomatic goings-on as Aragchi approached Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and embraced him even as Vance looked on from a safe distance. No handshakes, no photo-op.
“No media show,” said the Iranians. But it ran deeper. US President Donald Trump had already made the Iranians grate again, posting a typical message on Truth Social just before the meet. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder,” wrote POTUS.
Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/YA1AKvGuiL
— Global Osint (@GlobalOsintNew) June 21, 2026
The talks began. Eighty minutes into the talks, it was discovered that Trump hadn’t ceased social fire, and the Iranians wouldn’t have it.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he had a “60-day option and I can do whatever I want after that option”. Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian came in for special mention, with Trump telling him to “watch his mouth”. A Donald special was added to the mix, Trump letting loose with some ‘Strait’ talk. “You close it and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your f*****g country,” he told Fox in a 20-minute phone chat.
The Iranians protested loudly and formally, reminding mediators Qatar and Pakistan that the MoU Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles includes a non-aggression clause, and walked out.
This time it was Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner watching as Araghchi read the riot act to a hapless Sharif. Vance then played healer, saying, “These things are always a bit messy.” A video of Sharif from this moment, lost for words and at odds with what was unfolding, also went viral.
In any case the talks did resume, and Qatar and Pakistan later released a joint statement, saying that the meet was conducted in a “peaceful and constructive atmosphere”.
Iran and the US have, according to the statement, agreed to establish a High-Level Committee that will oversee the continuing negotiations. A timeline of 60 days has been fixed for a final deal, and technical talks will commence soon too. A hotline is to set up between Iran and the US to keep the peace in the Strait of Hormuz. Most importantly, a de-confliction cell including the US, Iran and Lebanon will be created.
Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War. Oil and petrochem exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction & development plan launched for Iran.
1st real test: Lebanon deconfliction cell https://t.co/q0okD2qwSO
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 22, 2026
Araghchi welcomed the start. “Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War. Oil and petrochem exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction and development plan launched for Iran. 1st real test: Lebanon deconfliction cell,” he wrote on X, clearly identifying the heart of the deal.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)