- US VP Vance joined Iran nuclear talks in Switzerland.
- Pakistan and Qatar mediate technical discussions, talks faced delay.
- Vance optimistic, citing US leverage; Hormuz status unclear.
US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to participate in technical-level negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme, marking the start of a new phase in diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict in West Asia.
Vance reached Switzerland to lead discussions with Tehran under the framework of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran, which established a 60-day window for negotiations.
Technical Talks Begin In Switzerland
The negotiations are taking place in Burgenstock, Switzerland, with officials from the United States, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar participating in the process.
Pakistan, which has played a central role in mediating between Washington and Tehran, confirmed that the technical-level talks would begin on Sunday. Qatar is also involved as a facilitator in the dialogue.
The talks were originally expected to begin on Friday but were delayed amid renewed exchanges of fire involving Israel and Lebanon.
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Before arriving in Switzerland, Vance said discussions were progressing and that senior US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had already reached the venue to work through technical aspects of the proposed agreement.
“We’ll plan the talks when the principals from the Iranian government, also the Qatari and the Pakistani governments arrive. That may happen as soon as tomorrow, but these things are always a little bit in flux,” Vance said on Saturday.
“Jared and Steve have been on the ground now for a few hours, dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation,” he added.
Vance Expresses Optimism
The US vice president struck an optimistic tone regarding the negotiations, saying discussions appeared to be moving in the right direction.
“My understanding, talking to Jared and Steve this (Saturday) morning, is things are going well,” Vance said.
He also argued that Washington entered the talks with significant leverage.
“What a lot of the criticisms of the deal have really underappreciated is that the United States has all the cards. The straits are now open. The Iranian military is now destroyed. The Iranians have committed to, of course, destroying that stockpile of enriched material,” Vance said.
“But we have a lot of economic pressure applied to the Iranians that we would be willing to relieve if they do what we need them to do. If they don’t do that, of course, there’s no skin off our back. They’re still in a much weakened position,” he added.
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Iran, Pakistan Confirm Participation
Iranian state television reported that the country’s negotiating team was travelling to Switzerland for the talks.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement: “As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026.”
The statement added that Islamabad would continue facilitating the negotiations in its role as mediator.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made an unannounced visit to Iran on Saturday. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Naqvi is expected to “monitor the ongoing negotiations” between Tehran and Washington.
Strait Of Hormuz Status Remains Unclear
The MoU signed earlier this week led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes through which nearly 20 per cent of global energy supplies pass.
The waterway had been closed since February 28 following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory attacks.
However, uncertainty remains over its current status. While reports from Iran indicated that Tehran again closed the strait on Saturday in response to Israeli military action in Lebanon, Vance maintained that the passage remained open as diplomatic efforts continued.
(With inputs from PTI)
