US-Iran talks in Switzerland postponed, confirms Swiss Foreign Ministry
Geneva, June 19
The Swiss Foreign Ministry on Thursday confirmed that the planned talks between the United States and Iran have been postponed.
Responding to an email from ANI, Switzerland's Foreign Ministry said it remains ready to facilitate the talks.
"The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed. Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present," it said.
Meanwhile, i24 News reported that the Israel Defence Forces struck Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in Lebanon after rockets and explosive drones were launched at IDF forces.
Earlier, a White House spokesperson on Thursday (local time) said that US Vice President JD Vance will not depart for Switzerland for further talks as the plans for the talks have not been finalised.
The spokesperson said that a delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity.
"As the Vice President said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalised, and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity. But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable," the spokesperson said.
"As of now, the Vice President is not departing tonight. We will let you know as soon as we have a concrete update about next steps. We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible," they added.
While speaking at a press briefing earlier in the day, Vance said that 12.5 million barrels of oil went through the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iranian presidents signed a peace plan aiming to end the war.
"The president's peace plan in Iran is already bearing real fruits for the American people. Last night, 12.5 million barrels of oil went through the Strait of Hormuz. That is a high since the beginning of the conflict. Oil prices are down nearly at their level from the pre-war conflict. Gas prices dropped below $4 a gallon today for the first time since the conflict. And importantly, they're going to keep falling further given how low oil prices are."
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Swiss are such neutral middlemen, reminds me of how they facilitated India-Pakistan talks at one point. But honestly, the real story here is oil prices dropping below $4 a gallon in the US. Meanwhile, we in India are still paying over ₹100 for petrol. When will we see some relief? 😩
Pakistan in the mix? That seems like a strategic move. They've always tried to stay relevant in Afghanistan and now West Asia. India needs to keep a close watch on this. Our Chabahar port investments and relations with Iran are crucial for connecting to Central Asia.
I'm concerned about Hezbollah and Israel being mentioned alongside. The Middle East is a powder keg. India evacuated thousands of students from Ukraine, but what if things escalate here? We have millions of Indians working in the Gulf. Hope our government has contingency plans.
The Swiss are patient people - they hosted the JCPOA talks too. But I find it ironic that the US VP isn't going when they're claiming progress. "Logistics were never simple" - sounds like diplomatic speak for "we're stuck." At least oil prices are down. That's good for inflation everywhere. 🌍
Trump's peace plan? The same guy who killed Soleimani? I hope this works but I'm skeptical. India has always supported diplomatic solutions. Remember when we helped facilitate Iran-US prisoner swaps? That's the kind of approach that works. Let's see if this holds. 🙏
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