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JD Vance said US negotiators are in Switzerland for talks with Iran despite a delay. The effort keeps a Trump-Pezeshkian war-ending agreement moving amid fresh regional firing.
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Washington,UPDATED: Jun 20, 2026 20:40 IST
US Vice President J D Vance said on Saturday that peace talks with Iran were under way and that negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were already in Switzerland. In an interview with Fox News, Vance said he also planned to join the talks in the next few days.
He said the discussions were moving ahead even as there was a delay linked to a fresh round of firing between Israel and Lebanon. Vance said the US position remained strong and expressed confidence about the progress of the negotiations.
"We'll plan the talks when the principals from the Iranian government, also the Qatari and the Pakistani governments arrive. That may happen as soon as tomorrow, but these things are always a little bit in flux," Vance said. He added, "Jared and Steve have been on the ground now for a few hours, dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation."
US President Donald Trump and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian had signed the Memorandum of Understanding to end the over three-month war, and negotiators were to begin discussions on the technical aspects of the agreement in Switzerland from Friday. However, the process was delayed because of a fresh round of firing between Israel and Lebanon.
"My understanding, talking to Jared and Steve this (Saturday) morning, is things are going well," Vance said. He added, "What a lot of the criticisms of the deal have really underappreciated is that the United States has all the cards. The straits are now open. The Iranian military is now destroyed. The Iranians have committed to, of course, destroying that stockpile of enriched material." Vance also said, "But we have a lot of economic pressure applied to the Iranians that we would be willing to relieve if they do what we need them to do. If they don't do that, of course, there's no skin off our back. They're still in a much weakened position."
In sum, Vance said the talks with Iran were progressing in Switzerland, with US negotiators already on the ground, while technical discussions linked to the agreement signed by Trump and Pezeshkian were being taken forward despite the delay.
With PTI Inputs
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jun 20, 2026 20:40 IST
