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American Vice President JD Vance arrived this Sunday, June 21, in Switzerland, where talks with Iran are to take place for a lasting end to the war in the Middle East, his spokesperson said. JD Vance and his wife landed at 5:59 a.m. local time at the Emmen air base, near Lucerne in central Switzerland, according to this spokesperson.
The Iranian delegation arrived on Saturday evening, according to the Swiss government. According to Iranian state television, it includes chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also president of Parliament, the head of diplomacy Abbas Araghchi and the governor of the Central Bank Abdolnaser Hemmati. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose mediation was decisive in concluding the June 17 agreement, also announced on Saturday evening that he was on his way to Switzerland.
Discussions between the United States and Iran to find lasting peace in the Middle East are due to begin on Sunday in a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps, four days after the signing of an already battered memorandum of understanding to end hostilities.
Agreement in “danger”, warns Iran
These talks, focused on the Iranian nuclear program, are scheduled for a renewable period of 60 days. Even before they began, the pitfalls accumulated, with the continuation of the fighting in Lebanon despite a clause in the agreement providing for the end of hostilities on all fronts without exception, and the announcement by Tehran of a closing of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation.
The discussions should last “a few days”, JD Vance told the press before leaving the United States on Saturday evening, specifying that he could only stay in Switzerland “a day or two”. “I hope that we will make progress on the nuclear issue and on the issue of the ceasefire in Lebanon. These are the two main points on which I think we will focus,” he declared.
The spokesperson for Iranian diplomacy, Esmaïl Baghaï, warned the United States on Saturday that the protocol would be “in danger” if its clauses were not applied quickly, alluding to the situation in Lebanon, where clashes continue between Israel and the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah. Israeli strikes again left several dozen dead on Saturday in eastern and southern Lebanon, before an interruption noted by an AFP correspondent from the end of the day, when the Israeli army received the order to cease clashes with Hezbollah in the south while continuing to operate there “from defensive manner”.
Iran said the situation in Lebanon, where the Israeli army carries out almost daily strikes against Tehran-backed Hezbollah, would be the “main” subject of the talks. “The Zionist regime (Israel, Editor’s note) continues to violate its commitments in Lebanon. This question will be the main subject of today’s discussions,” said the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaïl Baghaï.
Before his departure for Switzerland, the American vice-president assured that the situation was “improving” in Lebanon. “The big problem is that you’re going to have someone who’s going to start shooting and then someone’s going to respond, and so you sort of have this chicken and egg problem where you have to succeed in stopping the shooting long enough for the ceasefire to hold, that’s what we’re trying to do. do,” he said.
After the new clashes in Lebanon, the central command of the Iranian army announced that “the Strait of Hormuz would be closed to maritime traffic”, a “first measure in response to the violation of commitments by the enemy”. He threatened “other measures” if necessary “to force the enemy to respect its obligations.” Tehran also mentioned the possible establishment of maritime service “fees” for ships wishing to transit there. And American President Donald Trump also threatened to impose a toll across the Strait in the event of failure of discussions with Iran.
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