US-Iran talks in Switzerland fail, Tehran pulls out at the last minute

2026-06-19 08:46:54Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

US-Iran talks in Switzerland fail, Tehran pulls out at the last minute

The planned talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland will not take place, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced at the last minute in Lebanon.

According to reports, Tehran withdrew from the meeting due to Israel's continued military strikes in Lebanon.

The meeting, scheduled for June 19, was aimed at discussing the implementation of a 14-point agreement to end the conflict. The talks were expected to begin in the Swiss village of Aubourgen, two days after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which opened a 60-day period of negotiations to reach a permanent agreement on Iran's nuclear program and facilitate oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House stated that the US continues to expect the start of technical talks as soon as possible, while announcing that JD Vance, who is leading negotiations for the Trump administration, will not travel to Switzerland.

"The technical details of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. At this point, the vice president will not be leaving tonight," a White House spokesman said late Thursday.

The cancellation of the meeting came as a surprise. DeVance's staff and a small group of reporters were already at Joint Base Andrews, near Washington, awaiting departure. Meanwhile, dozens of White House officials, senior staff members and media representatives had arrived in Switzerland to prepare for the visit.

Earlier in the day, JD Vance held a press conference at the White House, where he defended the preliminary agreement to end the conflict. He stated that he planned to travel to Switzerland, but that he could not determine the exact time of departure.

"We believe that technical negotiations will begin sometime this weekend. This remains the current plan, but the situation may change," he said.

Meanwhile, days after officials had announced a formal signing ceremony on Friday, Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that the Iranian president had digitally signed the Memorandum of Understanding. As a result, the planned ceremony in Switzerland was canceled, Iranian state media reported.

President Trump signed the document for a second time Wednesday evening at the Palace of Versailles before leaving France, where he had been attending the G7 summit. He returned to the White House in the early hours of Thursday morning.


Video