Trump envoys arrive in Switzerland for Iran talks planned for Sunday
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White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Switzerland, where the first round of talks with Iran on a potential nuclear deal is expected to take place on Sunday, U.S. officials told Axios.
- Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Switzerland on Saturday to join the talks. Vice President Vance is expected to travel to Switzerland on Saturday to participate in the negotiations Sunday, a per source familiar, while Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf is also expected to attend.
Why it matters: The talks were supposed to start on Friday but were postponed because of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. It's not yet clear if a new time has been set for the talks.
- The Iranian delegation left Tehran shortly after the Iranian armed forces announced they are closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged violations of the ceasefire by the U.S. and Israel.
- The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday that U.S. and Iranian representatives —together with Qatari and Pakistani mediators — will meet at Burgenstock, Switzerland for a round of negotiations.
Driving the news: U.S. officials hoped a renewed ceasefire in Lebanon, announced on Friday, would allow the talks to move forward.
- But on Saturday morning, the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah resumed.
- Hezbollah launched around 50 projectiles toward Israel soldiers that it claimed were advancing near a town in southern Lebanon,
- Israel called that a ceasefire violation and conducted dozens of strikes in southern Lebanon in response, killing at least 16 people.
- Hezbollah claimed it is committed to the ceasefire, but would confront any attempt by Israel to seize land in Lebanon.
- "The IDF remains committed to the ceasefire agreement in accordance with the directives of the political echelon and will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to the State of and IDF soldiers," the Israeli military said in a statement.
The other side: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said shortly after the announcement on the closing of the strait that the Iranian delegation will travel to Switzerland on Saturday "to follow up on and demand the implementation of the other side's commitments" in the memorandum of understanding.
- He said Iran has remained committed to its obligations, and the U.S. is required to compel Israel to stop its attacks on Lebanon.
- "If part of the other side's commitments is not implemented, the entire understanding will be jeopardized," he said.
Behind the scenes: According to a source from one of the mediating countries, Araghchi told several of his counterparts on Friday that the ceasefire in Lebanon is a critical issue for Iran and "make or break" for the U.S.-Iran negotiations.
- Pakistan's interior minister visited Tehran on Saturday for talks with Araghchi and other Iranian officials to try and solve the crisis and allow the talks to move forward.
- Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, who is one of the key mediators between the U.S. and Iran, arrived in Switzerland earlier on Friday.
What to watch: Vance was expected to lead the U.S. delegation, but postponed his trip last minute on Thursday night.
- In a Fox News interview on Saturday, Vance said the talks with Iran "are going well" and the negotiations could start on Sunday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.
