Talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war opened Sunday at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance saying the negotiations were already showing signs of progress.
The American and Iranian delegations first met with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan. Vance and senior Iranian officials were later seen in the same room, a rare public image at the start of the latest diplomatic push.
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Vance and Ghalibaf were seen in the same room during the US-Iran talks in Switzerland
(Photo: Reuters)
“The talks are going great. We have made great progress in the past few hours,” Vance said.
Addressing the situation in Lebanon, the vice president added: “We have made progress in recent days to ensure that the ceasefire holds. President Trump is committed to a ceasefire across the entire region.”
Vance said Trump had asked the U.S. delegation to try to “open a new chapter” that could change Washington’s relationship with the Iranian people.
The talks are taking place under heavy security at the luxury Swiss hotel. Delegates were greeted by security personnel wearing protective vests, some in military camouflage and others armed with submachine guns. The entrance to the resort was secured with concrete blocks and barriers.
Both sides are under pressure to secure an end to the war, but the immediate focus is not only on U.S.-Iran relations. Lebanon and the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah are also central to the negotiations.
Israel halted fire in Lebanon on Friday amid U.S. pressure, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israeli troops remained free to act against threats.
“There was not and there is no restriction on IDF soldiers in Lebanon when it comes to removing threats,” Katz said. He added that the ceasefire announced Saturday leaves the IDF “in all positions in the security zone that protects the communities of the north.”
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said dedicated technical and technological teams had been formed to conduct the negotiations, along with monitoring groups tasked with overseeing implementation of the memorandum and tracking progress toward a final agreement.
“Qatar supports all efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the negotiations and reaching a final agreement that promotes peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region,” he said.
Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim reported that there were indications that International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi was also in Switzerland. However, a source on the Iranian team said the nuclear issue was not on the agenda for this round of talks.
Earlier, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Committee, said the United States must restrain Israel and stop its actions in Lebanon.
“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the Revolutionary Guards is a clear message to the United States and Israel and a sign that Iran is serious about fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to end the war,” he said.
At the same time, the optimism in Switzerland was undercut by a fresh threat from Trump, who told Fox News that Washington could take control of the Strait of Hormuz if talks failed, impose a tariff on traffic through the key shipping route and claim a share of the oil passing through it.
Trump also said the U.S. could become what he described as a guardian of the strait, adding that Washington could receive 20% of the oil moving through the route.
He repeated his disappointment over Israel’s failure to eliminate Hezbollah and said he was close to transferring responsibility to Syria, saying discussions had been held about giving Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa authority to move into southern Lebanon.
Minutes later, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!! ”
First published: 16:23, 06.21.26