Talks to End Iran War Set to Commence in Switzerland

The next phase of negotiations aimed at ending the conflict in Iran is slated to start on Sunday. This comes amid ongoing battles in Lebanon and renewed confusion about the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

A plane with the Iranian negotiation team arrived at Zurich International Airport in Switzerland on Saturday. Among the delegation were Gen. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a seasoned negotiator and speaker of Iran’s parliament, and Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister.

Vice President JD Vance entered Switzerland early Sunday to participate in discussions to refine the preliminary accord for ending the war in Iran. Vance told reporters he would attend the talks “for a day or two.” Accompanying him are President Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were already in Switzerland.

Pakistan, which has acted as an intermediary in the peace process, confirmed that “technical talks” are set to begin on Sunday with Pakistani and Qatari mediators present. Pakistan’s delegation includes Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the army chief.

The discussions occur at a critical time. The conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iranian-supported militant group, is jeopardizing efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace and maintain shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. Talks between the U.S. and Iran were supposed to start on Friday but were delayed due to continued clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.

Tehran expressed that the Israeli attacks breached the agreement. On Saturday, Iran’s military claimed it had closed the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation. However, the U.S. military reported that marine traffic continued as usual, stating Iran does not control the strait.

Several complex issues await resolution in these negotiations. President Trump’s interim deal with Iran defers the future of Iran’s nuclear program to subsequent talks, omits addressing Iran’s missile activities, and leaves unresolved whether the Strait of Hormuz will stay accessible for uninterrupted passage.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, indicated on Saturday that the delegation’s visit aimed to ensure that the agreement’s commitments were being honored by other parties. He cautioned that negotiations for a final agreement would only commence once Iran is assured of the U.S. adherence to the deal.

Tehran has accused the U.S. of failing to uphold its commitments within the agreement, given the persistent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, who exchanged fire on Saturday despite a cease-fire announcement in Lebanon on Friday. The U.S.-Iran agreement entails cease-fire across all conflict zones, including Lebanon, but Israel and Hezbollah have not agreed to the pact.

Vice President Vance mentioned before departure on Saturday that he aims for progress concerning the nuclear issue and the Lebanon cease-fire matter. He acknowledged that Iran likely has matters it wants addressed as well.

Contributions to this report were made by Sanam Mahoozi, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, and Yan Zhuang.