Vance says US seeks to reset with Iran

Iran's foreign minister said early Monday

that Pakistani and Qatari mediation

has delivered major progress to end the Lebanon War

and the two mediating nations said the first round of high-level talks

between the U.S. and the Islamic republic had ended.

Lower-level talks are 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.

US Vice President JD Vance said Sunday there was an opportunity

to turn over a new leaf with Iran as the sides held talks in Switzerland

aimed at fleshing out the interim deal to end the war in Iran reached

by both sides last week.

Aamer Madhani The Associated Press said

"Vice president JD Vance told reporters before the talks

that the US sought a reset with Iran,

but back home President Trump threatened Iran again

over its support of Hezbollah, and that appears to have hindered progress.

It's still unclear what progress these talks will make,

but today certainly proved the path ahead

for the US and Iran remains a difficult one."

Trump wrote on social media that "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."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed again Sunday

that Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon under his watch.

Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Prime Minister said

"No matter what happens in the talks, with an agreement,

without an agreement. I pledge to you that Iran,

as long as I'm Prime Minister, will never have a nuclear weapon.

Never. As long as I am the Prime Minister of Israel, I will not let that happen."

This as Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said in a televised

speech that the militant group would not accept any ceasefire deal

that grants Israel freedom of action within Lebanon or does not

result in a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

He also urged Lebanese authorities to repair their strained relations

with Iran and accept Iran's help in pushing for a withdrawal of Israeli

forces.