The Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, departed this Saturday for Switzerland to lead the first round of technical talks with Iran, scheduled for this Sunday at the Bürgenstock complex in the canton of Nidwalden.
Vance took the plane at 16:19 local time and confirmed before departing that the Iranian delegation had already landed on Swiss territory, while negotiators from Qatar and Pakistan were also on the ground.
The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement: "We welcome the arrival of the Iranian delegation in Switzerland. The Iranian delegation is heading to Bürgenstock as part of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran."
The two main issues on the agenda are the Iranian nuclear program and the ceasefire in Lebanon. "I can only be there for one or two days. I hope we can make progress on the nuclear issue and the ceasefire in Lebanon. Those are the two main topics we need to focus on. I’m sure the Iranians will also have matters they want to discuss," Vance stated to the media before boarding the plane.
The vice president also clarified that the immediate goal of the meeting is to establish the framework for negotiation: a political leadership level at the top, with technical teams that will remain continuously on the ground once he returns.
Regarding the situation in Lebanon, which has threatened on several occasions to derail the process, Vance expressed cautious optimism: "Things are improving. They have calmed down a bit. We are going to have to manage it continuously to ensure that Israel and Lebanon are safe."
This trip comes a day after the negotiations were suspended at the last minute on Friday, when Vance temporarily canceled his trip due to complications related to the conflict in Lebanon. Switzerland confirmed the postponement, although it indicated that it remained willing to facilitate dialogue.
The framework of these conversations is the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran around June 16 and 18, a document that opens a window of 60 days to negotiate a definitive nuclear agreement.
The text states that Iran will maintain the status quo of its nuclear program during the talks and that the United States will not impose new sanctions.
The main point of technical dispute is the duration of the moratorium on uranium enrichment: Washington demands 20 years, while Iran proposes between five and 15.
The process began in April 2026 with a first round of direct talks that ended without an agreement after 21 hours of dialogue, followed by a second round in Islamabad also led by Vance.
The path to Bürgenstock has been marked by interruptions: Iran suspended negotiations on June 1 citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and the CIA director warned Trump that Iran would not comply with the agreed terms.
As a preliminary gesture to the negotiations, Trump lifted the maritime blockade on Iran and reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Pakistan and Qatar are participating as mediators in the technical discussions, while Switzerland is acting as the host country and facilitator of the process.
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