Talks between US and Iran have begun in Switzerland
On Sunday, 21 June, talks between representatives of the US and Iran, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, began at the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock.
This has been reported by the Al Jazeera television channel, according to Censor.NET
Who represents the parties?
The US is represented by Vice-President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Among the Iranian negotiators are Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Intermediaries
Representatives from Qatar, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of the Army Staff, Asim Munir, are acting as mediators in the negotiations.
The parties’ claims
Ahead of the talks, Esmail Baghai, a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Tehran wished to discuss a ceasefire on all fronts, including between Israel and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
He stated that this provision has not yet been fully implemented. He also accused Israel of breaching its obligations in Lebanon. Furthermore, according to Baghai, Iran will raise the issue of its frozen assets and oil sales.
For his part, US Vice-President J.D. Vance stated before departing for Switzerland that Washington’s main priorities in the negotiations with Iran are "establishing a framework for the talks, making progress on nuclear issues, and securing a ceasefire in Lebanon".
Vens noted that he would only be able to stay in Switzerland for "a day or two", but expressed the hope that progress could be made during that time on the issue of Iran’s nuclear materials.
