US and Iran Head to Switzerland for Direct Talks Despite Hormuz Closure Claim
US Vice-President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland early Sunday morning to begin a fresh round of direct negotiations with Iran, even as the Iranian military claimed it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. The US military quickly pushed back, stating that "traffic continues to flow" through the strategic waterway.
Iran's delegation, which includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, touched down in Switzerland late Saturday. Tehran also cited what it called a breach of its existing agreement with Washington as justification for the Hormuz closure. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made clear that his country would be "demanding that the other side fulfil its commitments" at the table.
Pakistan plays a central role in these negotiations, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, head of the country's armed forces, joining the US and Iranian delegations. Islamabad has served as mediator throughout the conflict and hosted an earlier negotiating round between the two sides. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed ahead of the talks that the country "will continue to support the implementation of the understandings between Iran and the United States."
Vance told reporters before boarding his flight that he hoped to make headway on both "the nuclear issue" and the "Lebanon ceasefire issue." On the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, he said: "Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit." He framed the broader objective as making "the whole region safe and secure."
The backdrop to Sunday's talks is grim. Lebanon's health ministry reported at least 47 people killed on Saturday alone following Israeli air strikes. The Israel Defense Forces said they struck 80 Hezbollah-linked targets and killed "dozens" of the group's fighters, while acknowledging four of their own soldiers also died. Lebanon's health ministry puts the total death toll since fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed on 2 March at 4,057.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was confirmed on Friday afternoon, though the two sides had continued exchanging fire after the broader US-Iran agreement was announced earlier in the week. That initial deal, signed by both countries' presidents, aims to end the war with immediate effect and sets a 60-day window for negotiating a final settlement. Hezbollah has accused Israel of using its Lebanon operations to "sabotage" the wider agreement.
📰 Source: BBC World