US-Iran talks in Switzerland stretch into night as progress reported on nuclear, Hormuz, Lebanon issues
Burgenstock, June 22
Negotiations between the United States and Iran continued late into the night in Switzerland on Sunday, with US officials saying discussions remained active and expressing confidence that talks launched by Vice President JD Vance had produced early progress on Iran's nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz and the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon.
"We still anticipate they will continue through the night," a US official said shortly after 1:14 a.m. local time, when reporters travelling with the Vice President were informed that negotiations remained underway.
The update came hours after Vance said negotiators had already made significant headway during the first day of talks at the Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne.
"We've already made great progress over just the last few hours, and I expect that we'll make additional progress in the hours to come," Vance told reporters before entering the meeting.
According to a statement later provided by a senior US diplomat engaged in the negotiations, the American delegation has been in continuous talks since Vance arrived in Switzerland earlier in the day.
"The Vice President touched down around 6am this morning and our delegation has been engaged in constant meetings and negotiations since then," the diplomat said.
The official also rejected reports suggesting the Iranian delegation had left the talks.
"Contrary to rampant false reporting, the Iranians are still here and discussions are ongoing. We anticipate continuing to work through the night," the statement said.
The negotiations have focused on several key issues that have emerged since the preliminary US-Iran agreement earlier this week.
"Topics of discussion have included clarifying some of the confusing messaging from Iran on the Strait and building deconfliction mechanisms to ensure the Strait will remain fully open," the senior diplomat said.
The talks have also addressed the security situation in Lebanon, where renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has threatened broader regional diplomacy.
"We have also worked through deconfliction mechanisms and enforcing the ceasefire in southern Lebanon," the diplomat said.
Earlier in the day, Vance said he remained optimistic about efforts to stabilise Lebanon despite ongoing tensions.
"There, of course, are going to be sometimes disagreements about precisely how to get there, but I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon. There's still some additional wood to chop, but we're going to keep on working," he said.
The senior US diplomat said negotiators had also made progress on the core issue of Iran's nuclear programme.
"We've had robust discussions on all elements of the nuclear deal. We plan to continue working through each of these issues and using today's work as a starting point for ongoing technical talks going forward," the statement said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
JD Vance leading these talks? Didn't expect that from this administration. But honestly, if they can keep the Strait open and avoid a wider war in the Middle East, that's good for everyone, including India. We rely heavily on Gulf oil. Let's see if they can sustain this. Hope the night sessions yield results.
"Wood to chop" — as an American, I appreciate the optimism but we've heard that before with Iran. The nuclear deal has been off and on for years. My concern is that while they focus on Lebanon and Hormuz, Iran's enrichment continues. At least they're talking. That's more than we had under the last administration.
As someone from Mumbai, stability in the Gulf and Lebanon directly affects us. We have millions of Indians working there. The ceasefire in Lebanon is fragile, but these talks could mean safer conditions for our diaspora. I just hope the US isn't overpromising again. India should also be quietly watching these negotiations.
Respectfully, I'm skeptical. "Great progress in just a few hours" sounds like political spin. Iran has a long track record of using talks to buy time while advancing their program. The deconfliction on Hormuz is necessary, but the nuclear issue is the real ticking clock. Let's see if they actually get a verifiable deal or just another photo op.
Good to see diplomacy instead of sabre-rattling. The language about "confusing messaging from Iran on the Strait" is telling — there's clearly mistrust on both sides. But at least they're in a room
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