Vance travels to Switzerland for Iran talks as Lebanon strikes test truce
US and Iranian officials are meeting in Switzerland over a memorandum tied to Lebanon, Iran’s nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
US Vice President JD Vance has left for Switzerland for high-level talks with Iranian officials, Al Jazeera reported, as diplomats try to advance a memorandum aimed at ending the war. The meetings come as Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces killed 16 people in Lebanon on Saturday despite a reported ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
Al Jazeera said the negotiations are taking place under tight security at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland. The talks bring together US officials, Iranian representatives and regional mediators, including Qatar and Pakistan, according to the broadcaster.
Vance said he was hopeful the discussions would make progress on Iran’s nuclear programme and on Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported. Iran’s delegation, led by Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has arrived in Switzerland, according to the same report.
Iranian officials said their aim is to ensure that all sides fully implement the Memorandum of Understanding to end the war, Al Jazeera reported. The broadcaster said the main disputes include ceasefire arrangements in Lebanon, maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and wider commitments in the memorandum.
Strait of Hormuz dispute
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, citing what it called Israeli violations of the memorandum, Al Jazeera reported. The US military said the waterway remains open to all vessels, according to the broadcaster.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key point in the talks because maritime security is among the issues being discussed in Switzerland, Al Jazeera reported. US President Donald Trump said there would be no tolls for passage through the strait unless they were collected by the United States, according to the same report.
Lebanon and Gaza casualties
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli attacks in Lebanon continued on Saturday, killing 16 people despite the reported ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. A Reuters photograph cited by Al Jazeera showed a member of Lebanon’s civil defence carrying an injured girl after an Israeli strike in Barish as they arrived at Jabal Amel Hospital in Tyre.
The broadcaster also reported that Israeli forces killed Al Jazeera cameraman Ahmed Wishah in an air strike on the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. No further details on the circumstances of that strike were included in the report.
Al Jazeera described the Swiss summit as a test of whether diplomacy can hold while tensions remain high on the ground. The negotiations are centered on a multi-point memorandum, with Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme all on the agenda, according to the broadcaster.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.