Vance heads to Switzerland for Iran talks
Washington, June 21
US Vice President JD Vance departed for Switzerland, expressing hope that upcoming talks with Iran would advance negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme and help preserve a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon, even as renewed violence in the region threatened broader diplomatic efforts.
Speaking to reporters before boarding his aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, Vance said his understanding was that Iranian negotiators had already arrived in Switzerland and that discussions would likely continue for several days.
"I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're to be focused on. I'm sure the Iranians are going to have issues they'd like to discuss as well," Vance said.
The Vice President and Second Lady Usha Vance departed at 4:19 p.m. Eastern Time aboard a Gulfstream C-37, a smaller aircraft than the one typically used for vice-presidential travel. A spokesman said the aircraft was used because it was available more quickly than the Vice President's usual plane.
The Switzerland talks are expected to take place near Lucerne and come after a delayed start to the diplomatic process. According to Vance, technical negotiators from multiple parties were already on the ground ahead of the meetings.
"Look, we'll have a couple days of talks to try to get this thing kicked off the right way. There's a lot to discuss, but we're going to get through it all," he said.
The Vice President indicated that one of his primary objectives would be establishing the framework for future negotiations.
"I think number one, just getting things set up in the right way, and getting the actual structure and negotiation in place," he said. "I can only be there for a day or two."
Questions about continuing clashes in Lebanon featured prominently during the exchange with reporters. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has repeatedly threatened diplomatic momentum in recent weeks and remains a major concern for Washington as it seeks broader regional stability.
Vance sought to project cautious optimism.
"Despite the headlines, things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit," he said.
He credited Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the broader diplomatic team with managing the situation while acknowledging the difficulty of maintaining a ceasefire.
"It's going to be something we're just going to have to continuously manage to ensure that you know Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure. That's fundamentally the goal of this, to make the whole region safe and secure," Vance said.
Describing the cycle of violence, he added: "The big problem is that you have somebody will shoot and then somebody will respond, and you kind of have a chicken and egg problem where you've just got to stop the shooting for long enough to get the ceasefire to keep hold, that's what we're going to try to do."
The talks in Switzerland are expected to focus on technical and political issues related to the US-Iran diplomatic track, with Lebanon's ceasefire situation emerging as a parallel challenge. Vance said both matters would be central to the discussions.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The chicken-and-egg problem Vance described is exactly right. Both sides just need to stop shooting first. Hopefully Switzerland can be the place where that happens. 🙏
Interesting he took a smaller plane. Shows even the VP has to think about costs sometimes 😄. But honestly, the Lebanon ceasefire is more urgent than Iran's nuclear program right now. People are dying there daily.
As an Indian, I'm watching these talks closely. Iran is our friend - we get our oil from them and they supported us in 1971 war. Hope the US doesn't pressure them too much. Both countries need to find middle ground.
Vance says things are "getting better" in Lebanon but we see the news. Israel keeps bombing. This is just diplomatic talk while bombs fall. I respect the effort but actions speak louder than words.
Usha Vance accompanying him is nice. But I wish the focus was more on humanitarian issues rather than just nuclear deals. People in Lebanon need food and medical supplies, not just ceasefire paperwork.
From India's perspective, any stability in West Asia is good for us. Our diaspora there, our oil imports, everything depends on peace. Hope these talks succeed, but I'm not holding my breath. These conflicts
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