Switzerland talks cancelled, Vance stays in America

After US President JD Vance delayed his visit to Switzerland, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said a scheduled meeting between US and Iranian officials has been “postponed” and will not take place on Friday.

Swiss diplomats said, “Switzerland stands ready to facilitate these negotiations.” He said “preparatory work” was ongoing.

Earlier, the Swiss government had said the summit would be held in the luxurious mountain resort of Bürgenstock in the Swiss Alps.

US and Iran Presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian have already signed a memorandum of understanding without meeting in person.

According to the pan-Arab Iran-backed, pro-Hezbollah satellite channel Al Mayadeen, Tehran was also delaying sending its delegation to Switzerland.

The news outlet said this was due to Israel continuing its campaign in Lebanon.

The memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran predicts a “permanent cessation” of fighting in Lebanon and calls for respecting the country’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

But Israel is not a party to the peace deal and has said it has no intention of ending its offensive against the Hezbollah militia. Israeli forces have taken control of parts of Lebanon and launched airstrikes on targets inside the country on Thursday. On Friday, Hezbollah said it destroyed three Israeli tanks.

Israel’s opposition to the peace deal and the protracted fighting in Lebanon have created a public rift between the Trump administration and the Israeli government.

US Vice President JD Vance has postponed a trip to Switzerland where he was scheduled to meet Iranian negotiators to discuss the implementation of a 14-point deal between Washington and Tehran to end the war.

The White House, citing difficult logistics for the talks, said the Vance-led team was ready to go but was pushed back.

“The outline of these negotiations has never been simple or predictable. As of now, the Vice President is not departing tonight,” a White House spokesperson said late Thursday. “We look forward to starting technical negotiations as soon as possible.”

US officials wanted to hold a formal signing ceremony for the US-Iran deal in Geneva, but Iran’s Foreign Ministry expressed doubt after the two countries’ presidents signed the deal on Wednesday, saying it was unnecessary.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement, extending the ceasefire for 60 days and opening the way for talks on a wide range of issues including Iran’s nuclear program.

But uncertainty remains about the next step as it appeared unlikely the two countries would hold a signing ceremony and talks in Switzerland on Friday as previously announced.

US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian signed a preliminary agreement to extend the ceasefire for another 60 days and open the Strait of Hormuz.

The agreement between Iran and America was mediated by Pakistan.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who acted as the chief mediator, said the agreement came into force with “immediate effect”.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance was expected to visit Switzerland to pursue talks with Iran over its nuclear programme, however, his visit has been postponed.

Stay tuned for the latest developments on the Iranian war.