{"text":[[{"start":6,"text":"Iran’s foreign minister said there had been “major progress” after a day of talks with the US aimed at turning a shaky deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz into a permanent settlement to end their war."}],[{"start":18.45,"text":"The negotiations in a Swiss mountain resort focused primarily on the Israeli-Hizbollah conflict in Lebanon, which has threatened to derail diplomatic efforts to end the war between the US and Iran after they signed a memorandum of understanding this month. "}],[{"start":32.5,"text":"Repeated Israeli strikes on Hizbollah, Iran’s most important proxy, in Lebanon caused Iran to warn on Saturday that it would close the strait again, underlining the tenuous state of US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war and ease the global energy crisis triggered by the conflict."}],[{"start":49.8,"text":"However in a joint statement early on Monday Qatar and Pakistan, which are mediating the US-Iran negotiation, said a first session of talks had ended with the parties agreeing to “the creation of a de-confliction cell” aimed at stopping fighting in Lebanon. "}],[{"start":64.14999999999999,"text":"They gave few details but said it would also involve Lebanon’s government."}],[{"start":68.74999999999999,"text":"The summit in the resort of Bürgenstock “was conducted in a positive and constructive atmosphere’, the statement said. “Encouraging progress has been made including the creation of a mechanism for further technical talks.”"}],[{"start":81.99999999999999,"text":"Following the statement, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media: “Tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation has delivered major progress to end Lebanon War.”"}],[{"start":93.64999999999999,"text":"He added in the X post: “Oil and petrochem exports are waived, blockade lifted, some frozen assets released, and major reconstruction & development plan launched for Iran.”"}],[{"start":106.44999999999999,"text":"There was no comment from US officials, who had earlier said talks were expected to continue throughout the night. US vice-president JD Vance is leading the American delegation in Switzerland."}],[{"start":117.54999999999998,"text":"Oil prices rose during early trading in Asia on Monday morning before falling. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, declined 0.7 per cent to $80 a barrel."}],[{"start":129.04999999999998,"text":"Global equity markets were mixed. Japan’s Topix and Korea’s Kospi rose 1 per cent and 1.7 per cent, respectively. S&P 500 futures fell 0.2 per cent while Stoxx Europe 600 futures were flat."}],[{"start":145.39999999999998,"text":"The talks on Sunday come after the US and Iran signed the MoU last week to extend an April 8 ceasefire by 60 days, during which Iran is supposed to reopen the strait and not charge ships a fee for transiting the waterway. Trump has already ordered the US navy to lift its blockade of Iranian ports."}],[{"start":165.14999999999998,"text":"Trump has made reopening the strait — through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas normally passes — a priority as he seeks to ease a global energy crisis that has pushed up prices at US petrol pumps ahead of November’s midterm elections."}],[{"start":179.89999999999998,"text":"The nuclear talks are expected to stretch out over weeks as the parties negotiate the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium and its main nuclear sites, which were severely damaged by US bunker-buster bombs last year."}],[{"start":192.7,"text":"The MoU states that the parties would find a “mutually agreed” mechanism to handle the enriched uranium."}],[{"start":200.14999999999998,"text":"Iran has more than 9,000kg of the material stockpiled, including 440kg at levels close to weapons-grade that Trump previously demanded Tehran hand over to the US."}],[{"start":218.99999999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1782107279_5982.mp3"}