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While talks between Washington and Tehran were to officially open in Switzerland, American Vice-President JD Vance finally gave up on leaving the United States on the evening of Thursday June 18. In a statement, the White House explained that “plans for future technical discussions have not been finalized” and that “the logistics for these negotiations have never been simple or predictable.”
This announcement comes the day after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, intended to frame discussions leading to a final agreement. Uncertainty now reigns over the exact schedule of their launch, initially scheduled for Friday June 19 at Bürgenstock, a mountain overlooking Lake Lucerne, in Switzerland.
A 60-day diplomatic process to turn the page on the conflict
These negotiations must extend over a renewable 60-day period and focus mainly on the Iranian nuclear program. They are part of the continuity of the framework agreement concluded after the conflict launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel, a war which caused several thousand victims, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, while causing severe economic turbulence on a global scale.
During a press conference at the White House, JD Vance said that the countdown was now on. “We’re going to start the 60 days, start the clock today,” he said Thursday.
A resumption date still unknown
A few hours before the announcement of his postponement, the American vice-president still indicated that he hoped to reach Switzerland “this weekend”, while recognizing that it was difficult to obtain rapid responses from Iran.
“We thought these technical negotiations were going to start at some point this weekend. That’s still the plan but it could change,” he explained. On the Iranian side, no information has yet been communicated concerning a possible trip of a delegation to Lucerne.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose mediation played a determining role in the rapprochement between the two countries, has also postponed his visit to Switzerland.
Washington ensures that it respects its first commitments
JD Vance also affirmed that the United States had already begun to apply certain provisions provided for in the memorandum of understanding. According to him, Washington has notably lifted part of its maritime blockade targeting Iran.
“We have let more than a dozen boats pass through our maritime blockade and therefore we are respecting our commitments,” he said.
The American vice-president also took advantage of his intervention to respond to the criticisms made against Donald Trump by certain Israeli officials. Recalling the importance of American military support for Israel, he said that those who consider the American president as “their biggest problem” should “open their eyes and realize reality”.
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