U.S. and Iranian Officials to Meet for Peace Talks in Switzerland


An Iranian negotiating team arrived in Switzerland on Saturday for talks with American officials, according to Iranian state media, and Vice President JD Vance is traveling to join them, with both sides aiming to flesh out the preliminary deal to end the war in Iran.

Pakistan, which has served as an intermediary in the peace effort, said on Saturday that “technical talks” would kick off on Sunday in Switzerland, including officials from Washington and Tehran, as well as Pakistani and Qatari mediators.

It was not clear if the talks would be face-to-face discussions, as in the last round in Islamabad, Pakistan, where both sides failed to reach an agreement after 21 hours of negotiating.

Before departing from Joint Base Andrews on Saturday, Mr. Vance told reporters that he would be in Switzerland for peace talks “for a day or two.” Earlier, he told Fox News that President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, were already in Switzerland ready to negotiate.

Iranian state media reported on Saturday that Tehran’s delegation was led by Gen. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Tehran’s lead negotiator in past talks and the speaker of Iran’s parliament. He is joined by Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, and Esmail Baghaei, the foreign ministry’s spokesman, among other officials, state media said.

The discussions come at a delicate time. The next phase of U.S.-Iranian talks was scheduled to start on Friday, but it was postponed after continued clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Tehran said the Israeli strikes violated the memorandum of understanding, and Iran’s military went further on Saturday, claiming to close the Strait of Hormuz in response.

There are many other thorny questions that could be discussed during negotiations. President Trump’s interim agreement with Iran punted the future of Iran’s nuclear program to future talks, did not address Iran’s missile program and failed to resolve whether the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial maritime trade route off southern Iran, would remain open for free passage.

But Mr. Baghaei told state media on Saturday that the trip was intended to “follow up on the implementation of the other side’s commitments,” and warned that “negotiations on a final agreement” would begin only when Iran believes the United States is upholding the deal.

Tehran has accused the United States of reneging on commitments in the agreement by failing to rein in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which exchanged fire again on Saturday, despite the announcement of a cease-fire in Lebanon on Friday. The U.S.-Iranian agreement calls for a cease-fire on all fronts, including Lebanon, but neither Israel nor Hezbollah have signed onto the pact.

Mr. Vance told reporters before departing on Saturday that he hoped negotiators would “make progress on the nuclear issue” and the “Lebanon cease-fire issue,” adding that he was “sure the Iranians are going to have issues they’d like to discuss as well.”

Sanam Mahoozi and Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    Which teams have qualified for the World Cup 2026 knockouts, round of 32? | World Cup 2026 News

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage format, criteria and rules for qualification. Find out who’s in and who’s out. Published On 21 Jun 202621 Jun 2026 | Updated: an…

    Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah killed in Israeli strike on Gaza | Gaza

    Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera has said one of its journalists was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday, becoming one of the at least 260 Palestinian journalists…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    Impresionante la “marea naranja” y la pasión de los ecuatorianos y alemanes

    Impresionante la “marea naranja” y la pasión de los ecuatorianos y alemanes

    As Muskoka becomes a billionaire's playground, the shuttering of my beloved camp broke my heart

    As Muskoka becomes a billionaire's playground, the shuttering of my beloved camp broke my heart

    Which teams have qualified for the World Cup 2026 knockouts, round of 32? | World Cup 2026 News

    Which teams have qualified for the World Cup 2026 knockouts, round of 32? | World Cup 2026 News

    This $10-million Forest Hill mansion once owned by an acclaimed architect has a pool house and 'lava room'

    This $10-million Forest Hill mansion once owned by an acclaimed architect has a pool house and 'lava room'

    The Witcher 4 dev still not convinced it’s fully redeemed for Cyberpunk 2077

    The Witcher 4 dev still not convinced it’s fully redeemed for Cyberpunk 2077

    California Sheriff’s Deputy Is Charged in Fatal On-Duty Crash

    California Sheriff’s Deputy Is Charged in Fatal On-Duty Crash