U.S. and Iran launch direct negotiations in Switzerland - Barak Ravid

 

by Barak Ravid

The talks took place despite Iran claiming on Saturday that it was shutting down the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon. Given that backdrop, things could break down at any time.

 

Vice President J.D. Vance speaks to reporters from Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland before hearing to Switzerland for negotiations with Iran. Photo by Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/Getty Images

Vice President J.D. Vance and other U.S. negotiators met with their Iranian counterparts at the Bürgenstock ski resort in Switzerland on Sunday for the first round of talks over a deal to end the war, according to a diplomat with knowledge of the talks.

Why it matters: The "Lake Lucern summit" is the first round of direct talks between the U.S. and Iran since the Islamabad summit last April. It's supposed to launch 60 days of nuclear negotiations with the aim of limiting Iran's nuclear program.

• The talks took place despite Iran claiming on Saturday that it was shutting down the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli ceasefire violations in Lebanon. Given that backdrop, things could break down at any time.
• "I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on," Vance told reporters on Saturday before leaving Washington.

Driving the news: Vance and White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met on Sunday morning with the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and Qatar and Pakistan's top general, who is mediating talks between the U.S. and Iran.

• Shortly after, the Iranian delegation — headed by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — held a similar meeting with the mediators.
• Iranian state media reported that after the mediator meetings, the U.S. and Iranian delegations held a trilateral meeting with the Qataris, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks confirmed to Axios.

What they are saying: Vance said Saturday that the negotiations will last "a couple of days" and he will stay "for a day or two."

• The VP said the first round is aimed at "getting the actual structure and negotiation in place."
• He noted that there will also be working-level talks by technical experts that could continue in Switzerland after the first round of talks concludes.

The other side: The spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry told Iranian state media on Sunday that the talks will focus on the ceasefire in Lebanon, the waivers the U.S. committed to issue in order to allow Iran to sell oil and the issue of Iran's frozen funds.

Between the lines: The U.S. would like the first round of talks to end with an Iranian invitation for UN inspectors to visit its nuclear sites, which were bombed by the U.S. and Israel, two regional sources with direct knowledge said. The last such visit took place in June 2025.

• In return, the U.S. is willing to give Iran access to some of its frozen funds — starting with a $6 billion account in Qatar.
• The Iranians would be able to use those funds to buy humanitarian goods, the sources said.

What to watch: On Saturday, ahead of the talks, Israel and Hezbollah announced they were recommitting to the ceasefire. Such statements have tended to be very short-lived. A similar ceasefire broke down within hours on Friday.

• Vance acknowledged Lebanon could derail the negotiations, but said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is handling de-escalation efforts.
• "Despite the headlines, things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit. It's going to be something we're just going to have to continuously manage to ensure that Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure," Vance said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information. 

Barak Ravid

Source: https://www.axios.com/2026/06/20/vance-iran-talks-switzerland

Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter