Swiss talks called off: Why the delay and what it means for US-Iran MoU plan | Today’s news
High-stakes talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for today in the Swiss mountain resort of Burgenstock will not take place, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said, according to Reuters.
The announcement on Friday, June 19, came hours after the White House said American Vice President JD Vance delayed the way to Switzerland lead a new round of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.
Read also | Vance postpones trip to Switzerland for talks with Iran
“The team led by Vance was ready to go but was delaying,” the White House said, citing difficult logistics for the negotiations.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
The trip was delayed due to difficult logistics surrounding the negotiations and uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the talks.
Iran has reportedly delayed sending its delegation to Switzerland over concerns about Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon.
The memorandum of understanding includes a commitment to reduce Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, prevent the development of nuclear weapons and promote a broader ceasefire.
Despite the delay after the initial deal was signed, a 60-day period for broader negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program has officially begun.
While the deal is in place, the US will rely on verification and compliance measures, not Iran’s assurances about its nuclear program.
The White House announcement came the same day Vance held a briefing to defend the tentative agreement to end the war. Vance said during the briefing that he did not know if he would still travel to Switzerland on Friday for the meeting, where he was originally expected to help oversee the signing ceremony, the New York Times reported.
It is unclear when Vance might reschedule his trip to Switzerland.
The announcement followed a report by Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel linked to Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, that Iran was delaying sending its delegation to Switzerland due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, On June 18, he declared that he had approved the deal despite reservations, even though the United States had lifted the blockade of Iranian ports.
But before Vance delayed his trip, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif postponed a planned visit to Switzerland, where Islamabad officials had originally planned to hold a signing ceremony for the agreement.
Questions raised regarding the next phase of negotiations
That visit was postponed because the deal had already been signed by both Iran and the U.S., two senior officials were quoted as saying by news agencies.
The development has raised questions about what will happen to the tentative agreement to end the war and the 60-day negotiation period announced after the signing of a memorandum of understanding designed to promote a ceasefire and broader diplomatic negotiations.
Read also | US news on Iran peace deal LIVE: JD Vance postpones trip to Switzerland for talks in Tehran
President Donald Trump signed the original deal with Iran on Wednesday during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles. The agreement is due to take effect immediately and extends the ceasefire while giving each side 60 days to reach broader agreements on major issues.
Criticism from Republicans
The tentative deal has drawn sharp criticism from some in the US – including several Republicans in Congress – who worry that Washington has ceded too much to Iran with sanctions relief and a potential $300 billion fund to help it rebuild.
The agreement states that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium must, at a minimum, be diluted under international supervision. It also says Iran will not procure or develop nuclear weapons — a commitment it has made before.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff told members of Congress that Iran would invite International Atomic Energy Agency explore its nuclear sites and begin work to identify and reveal the location of Tehran’s enriched material believed to be buried under the rubble.
In his earlier comments at the White House, Vance shrugged off criticism of the confusing rollout of the original deal, saying, “I don’t think our public messaging was messy.”
Iranian state media said shipping had “normalized” in Iran’s southern ports, but added that the strait remained under the surveillance and control of Iran’s armed forces and transit through the vital waterway still required coordination.
Read also | JD Vance defends US-Iran peace deal, slams Israel critics
After the agreement was signed, major ship owners began moving vessels through the strait, the maritime data company said Lloyd’s List Intelligencealthough Lloyd’s did not provide figures on how many ships passed through the strait on Thursday.
At a media briefing, Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, said for the first time in 110 days that ships owned by major companies were passing through the strait after being effectively abandoned there since February.
Key things
- The delay highlights the complex dynamics of international diplomacy.
- External factors such as regional conflicts can significantly influence peace negotiations.
- Continued scrutiny of the deal reflects deep divisions in US political circles.
