Iran may withdraw from nuclear talks with the US in Switzerland
Photo: Iranian military personnel against a backdrop of missiles and a map of Iran (Getty Images)
Negotiations that could determine the future of Iran's nuclear program are under threat of collapse due to a new escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, according to Bloomberg.
According to the publication, Tehran insisted that any agreement with the United States should include a halt to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
However, according to sources, Israeli forces carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets after the group fired more than 50 projectiles at IDF positions in southern Lebanon.
Following the renewed hostilities, Iran decided not to send its delegation to Switzerland, where a new round of talks was scheduled to take place.
No new date for the meeting has been announced so far. At the same time, Switzerland said preparations for the talks are ongoing, while the White House stated that the US delegation is ready to travel as soon as conditions allow.
Iran, meanwhile, blames Washington for the escalation in Lebanon. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the US bears "direct responsibility" for Israel's actions and developments in the region.
Despite a temporary truce between the US and Iran, the sides still need to agree on key issues related to Iran’s nuclear program. Experts note that reaching a full agreement may take significantly longer than the 60 days outlined in the current framework.
US-Iran negotiations
As previously reported by Axios, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner could hold talks in Switzerland with Iranian officials on the future of Tehran’s nuclear program.
Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was expected to act as mediator.
The meeting was intended to be one of the steps toward implementing a memorandum of understanding signed this week between the US and Iran.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump has said Washington is prepared to take tougher measures if negotiations on Iran's nuclear program fail.
