US-Iran Israel War News LIVE: A new round of negotiations between the United States and Iran is set to begin on Sunday in Switzerland, marking the first high-level engagement since the two sides reached a preliminary accord aimed at ending nearly four months of conflict.
Iranian negotiators arrived in the Swiss resort town of Bürgenstock hours ahead of US Vice President JD Vance, who said before departing for Europe that Washington hopes to achieve progress on both the nuclear issue and efforts to maintain stability in the region.
“We hope to make progress on the nuclear issue and on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things we’re focused on,” Vance told reporters before boarding his flight.
The technical-level talks are intended to flesh out key details of the preliminary agreement signed earlier this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which seeks to halt hostilities between Washington and Tehran after months of escalating tensions.
The negotiations were originally scheduled to begin on Friday but were postponed after Iranian officials pulled out amid intensifying clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. However, diplomatic efforts involving the United States, Qatar and Iran subsequently helped secure an understanding between Israel and Hezbollah to reduce active hostilities, paving the way for the talks to proceed.
Iran’s delegation is being led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as senior officials from the country’s central bank and oil sector. Iranian state media confirmed their arrival in Switzerland on Saturday.
A fresh complication emerged ahead of the talks when Tehran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli military actions in Lebanon, raising concerns about regional stability and global energy supplies. The development is expected to feature prominently in discussions as negotiators seek to prevent a broader escalation across the Middle East.
Pakistan has also joined the diplomatic effort. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir departed Islamabad early Sunday to participate in the technical-level discussions, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Pakistani delegation’s involvement follows the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and reflects Islamabad’s growing role in facilitating dialogue among regional and international stakeholders.
Diplomats and observers will be closely watching the Switzerland talks for signs that the tentative US-Iran accord can be transformed into a more durable framework, while addressing wider regional flashpoints, including Lebanon and maritime security in the Gulf.
The negotiations come at a critical moment for the Middle East, where recent military confrontations have heightened fears of a wider regional conflict despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions.
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