US-Iran Switzerland talks seek interim deal on war and Hormuz

Obburgen,UPDATED: Jun 21, 2026 21:36 IST

US and Iranian negotiators met in Switzerland on Sunday for talks on an interim agreement aimed at ending the Iran war and stopping fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon. Pakistani and Qatari mediators were also present for the technical-level discussions.

The US delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance and included Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The Iranian side was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Ahead of the talks, Tehran said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz over Israel's ongoing military campaign in Lebanon. Under the interim deal, the waterway is to remain open to toll-free travel for 60 days, while US President Donald Trump has warned of American tariffs on the strait if no final agreement is reached within that period.

Iranian state television said the Iranian and Qatari delegations held discussions after the four-way negotiations that also included the US and Pakistan.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Fox News that a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon could not be reached if Iran was "trying to squeeze itself into this conflict" through the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, said Israel and Lebanon would hold another round of talks in Washington on Tuesday. Hezbollah is not a party to those talks. Iran wants any agreement with the US to include peace on all fronts, including Lebanon, and Lebanon was expected to be a focus of the talks in Switzerland.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he was concerned that some Iranians could return to open protest. In a speech reported by semiofficial news outlets, he said, "what I fear is that we may fail to satisfy the people, and that they may come out into the streets to protest," adding that this could affect the country's unity during negotiations with the US. Iran had seen nationwide protests weeks before the war began, as unrest over the weak economy turned into anti-government anger. Thousands were killed in the crackdown that followed. For a period, the US and Israel had spoken of regime change in Iran as one of their war goals.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said 67 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours, a level similar to traffic before the war in terms of oil and oil products. Iran's joint military command said on Saturday that it had closed the strait over Israel's military campaign in Lebanon against Hezbollah, but the US disputed that claim. Wright also told Fox News that Iran had not yet "demined" the strait's central shipping channel, but said the US had opened a separate channel to the south and had been escorting ships through it. He also acknowledged that some commercial shippers still had safety concerns.

Israel's military said it remained prepared for a possible return to fighting. In a statement issued around the time direct talks began, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, speaking from southern Lebanon, said, "The ceasefire that has been declared is fragile, and we must maintain a high level of readiness for the renewal of combat operations." He said the military continued to defend against Hezbollah and its efforts to rebuild.

Trump also warned Iran in a social media post to stop Hezbollah from "causing trouble". "If they don't, we'll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!" he wrote from Camp David, where he is spending the weekend.

The talks in Switzerland brought together the US, Iran, Pakistan and Qatar as efforts continued to secure an interim deal covering the war, the Strait of Hormuz and the fighting linked to Lebanon, even as public warnings and military caution continued on all sides.

With PTI Inputs

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