©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Andrew Thomas
The talks between the United States and Iran scheduled for today in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, will not take place. The talks were postponed at the last minute, the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday morning.
As a result, U.S. Vice President JD Vance did not travel to Switzerland for the talks on a final agreement with Iran. The White House announced this following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
The exact reason for the sudden cancellation?
According to the White House, the cause of this sudden setback lies in the plans for the upcoming technical talks, which have not yet been finalized. “The U.S. delegation has prepared to depart at the earliest opportunity. But the logistics for these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement reads. Therefore, Vice President Vance will remain in the United States for the time being. “At this time, the vice president will not be leaving tonight,” the White House said. Iran has stated that it first wants to see “signs of implementation” before talks can continue and cited the ongoing Israeli attacks in Lebanon as an obstacle to lasting peace.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance emphasized earlier this week that the 60-day deadline for a final peace agreement between the United States and Iran begins on Thursday.
According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, the talks in Switzerland were canceled at the very last moment, leaving both staff members of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and a group of journalists already waiting on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, from where the delegation was to depart. In Switzerland, a large number of White House officials and staff were also on standby, awaiting the vice president’s arrival.
The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad Ghalibaf, has also postponed his trip to Switzerland.
Following the signing of their memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, the United States and Iran were supposed to officially begin 60 days of negotiations on Friday toward a final agreement, specifically regarding the nuclear program. However, the memorandum has entered into force.
The signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran is intended to launch 60 additional days of negotiations aimed at ending the war. However, the Strait of Hormuz is already opening.
That 60-day period has thus gotten off to a rocky start. Switzerland, however, still believes that an effective peace agreement will be reached: “Switzerland remains on standby and is continuing its preparations,” Nicolas Bideau, spokesperson for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), told the Keystone-ATS news agency. The country “remains fully committed to promoting dialogue.”
But perhaps Israel holds the real key to reaching a lasting peace agreement?
©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Andrew Thomas