US, Iran begin talks in Switzerland, report progress
US Vice President JD Vance (photo: Getty Images)
Negotiations between the United States and Iran on the nuclear program and the security situation in the Middle East have begun in Switzerland. The American side has already announced significant progress in the first hours of talks, according to US Vice President JD Vance, cited by CNN and Sky News.
Talks details, first statements
The negotiations are being held with the mediation of Qatar and Pakistan. The US delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance, while the Iranian side is represented by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
According to Vance, the discussions may last more than one day and will focus on two key issues—Iran's nuclear program and the situation in Lebanon.
The US vice president described the meeting as historic, noting that, except for the past few months, the leadership of both countries had never met at such a high level before.
"We've already made great progress over the last few hours," JD Vance said.
He added that negotiators arrived in Switzerland to use diplomacy and joint efforts to transform the Middle East, where Iran and Gulf countries have long been in conflict.
According to him, the United States envisions a future in which everyone can work together to promote peace and prosperity for all.
Risk of talks collapsing
Ahead of the meeting on June 20, the negotiations were at risk of collapsing after Iran's military command announced it would close the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran described the move as a response to Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
However, Vance noted before departing the United States that there were currently no real signs that Iran had actually begun obstructing the passage of civilian or military vessels through the strait.
Background
Pakistan had previously announced that technical talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland were scheduled to take place at the mountain resort of Bürgenstock. The meeting was organized with the mediation of Pakistani and Qatari diplomats.
Both countries confirmed the participation of their delegations despite escalating tensions in the Middle East and Israeli military operations in Lebanon that threatened to derail the negotiations.
Before the talks, US Vice President JD Vance outlined the main goal of the discussions with Iran. According to him, the key topics are resolving the situation around Iran's nuclear program and achieving a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Vance emphasized that he would bring together senior political leaders and technical experts and expects initial progress on controlling Iran's nuclear materials within just one to two days.
