U.S. Vice President JD Vance met Sunday with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland as the White House seeks to advance an interim agreement aimed at ending the war in Iran and stabilizing broader regional tensions, according to officials involved in the talks.
Vance held discussions with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a mountain resort near Lake Lucerne, with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar also present during the direct engagement, sources said.
The U.S. is pressing Iran to formally enter negotiations over its nuclear program amid longstanding Western concerns that Tehran could pursue weapons capabilities, an allegation Iran denies. Washington is also pushing for commitments to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, a critical maritime chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments pass.
However, renewed instability in Lebanon, where Israel continues operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, is threatening to derail diplomatic momentum, complicating efforts to secure concessions from Tehran on nuclear limits and maritime security.
“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?” Vance said in brief remarks as the so-called Lake Lucerne Summit began.
“Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently, or do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but is certainly very much something that can happen,” he added.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, indicated their primary focus in the talks would be the ongoing conflict in Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state media ahead of the meeting that Tehran remains deeply concerned about the situation on the ground.
The interim agreement signed last week set a 60-day framework for technical negotiations aimed at producing a broader deal with significant implications for global energy markets and international security.
But within days, the arrangement came under strain as fighting intensified in Lebanon and Iran’s military announced renewed restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire brokered Saturday in Lebanon appeared to be holding, though the situation remained fragile.
Vance also met earlier Sunday with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has played a key intermediary role between Washington and Tehran during the conflict.
“What’s up, man! Good to see you,” Vance said as he greeted Munir at the resort, according to officials familiar with the meeting.
Sharif held separate discussions with Qalibaf and Araghchi, while Qatari mediators also participated in parallel engagements at the Swiss venue.
U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi met Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on the sidelines of the gathering. The International Atomic Energy Agency previously monitored the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, from which the United States withdrew in 2018 under President Donald Trump.
Iranian officials are also expected to hold bilateral meetings with Pakistani and Qatari mediators before a planned four-way session involving the U.S. delegation.
Tehran has expressed caution about the talks, citing past disruptions and military escalations. “The implementation of any document is more important than its signing,” Baghaei said.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Tehran will not abandon its nuclear program, insisting the country retains its right to enrich uranium.
“What is certain is that we will never back down from the right to enrich uranium, and the other side is also forced to accept it,” he said, according to Iranian state media.
Vance originally planned to arrive Friday at the Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne, but his trip was delayed after fighting escalated in Lebanon and Iranian officials temporarily withdrew from talks.
U.S. Central Command disputed Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed, saying American forces continued to monitor maritime traffic and that commercial shipping remained active. Vance has said millions of barrels of oil have passed through the waterway in recent days.
The vice president traveled to Switzerland shortly after Iranian state television reported that Tehran’s negotiating team had already arrived.
He was accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a senior Trump adviser and presidential son-in-law, both of whom were working ahead of Vance’s arrival to review technical aspects of the agreement.
Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, arrived at Emmen Air Base near Lucerne early Sunday morning, according to his office.
While Vance said he intended to stay in Switzerland for only a day or two, leaving detailed negotiations to his advisers, his involvement has drawn increased political attention in Washington as he is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender.
The interim deal has faced criticism from political opponents and some Republican hard-liners, who argue it risks repeating past nuclear diplomacy failures.
Under the agreement, Iran is permitted to resume oil sales and access frozen assets, while committing to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium under monitoring provisions.
The agreement also allows commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz without fees for 60 days, though future charges have not been ruled out. Trump separately warned of possible U.S. tolls on the waterway if a broader deal is not reached within the negotiation window.
Oil markets have responded cautiously, with prices falling after the agreement was announced, though traders remain alert to developments in the ongoing talks.
Complicating the broader geopolitical landscape, neither Israel nor Hezbollah is party to the U.S.-Iran agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to maintain military pressure in southern Lebanon until Israeli security concerns are addressed, while Hezbollah has insisted it will not halt operations without Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
