US Vice President JD Vance is expected to travel to Switzerland on Saturday for talks with Iran, as Washington and Tehran prepare to begin negotiations aimed at building on the recently signed 14-point memorandum of understanding amid growing tensions over renewed violence in Lebanon.

The diplomatic effort comes days after US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian digitally signed the agreement intended to end hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and pave the way for broader negotiations. However, the future of the truce remains uncertain after Iran announced the closure of the strategic waterway, accusing the United States and Israel of violating the ceasefire.

Vance, Senior Envoys Prepare for Switzerland Talks

Citing a source, Axios reported that Vance could participate in the negotiations scheduled to take place in Switzerland.

In an interview with Fox News, the Vice President said President Trump remained focused on permanently preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons through negotiations and stringent verification mechanisms.

“He’s (Trump) thinking about this for my kids’ sake, for our grandkids’ sake, to ensure that this regime never has the ability to develop a nuclear weapon,” Vance said.

Referring to his possible visit to Switzerland, Vance described the arrangements as a “delicate coordination dance” that required consideration of diplomatic protocols.

According to US officials quoted by Axios, special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are already in Switzerland ahead of the first round of negotiations expected on Sunday.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also travelled to Switzerland, while Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf is expected to attend the talks.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani arrived in Switzerland on Friday. Doha is one of the principal mediators facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the technical-level talks would be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday, with Pakistan and Qatar acting as mediators.

“As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June 2026. Representatives of the United States and Iran, along with Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions,” the ministry said in a statement.

The negotiations were initially scheduled for Friday but were postponed because of continuing hostilities involving Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Strait of Hormuz Closure Adds to Uncertainty

According to Axios, the Iranian delegation departed Tehran shortly after Iranian armed forces announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to what Tehran described as violations of the ceasefire by the United States and Israel.

Iran’s move came despite an earlier agreement between Washington and Tehran that had provided for the reopening of the crucial shipping route.

US Central Command said commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had increased on Saturday and stressed that freedom of navigation remained unaffected.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said 55 merchant vessels had safely transited the waterway, transporting more than 17 million barrels of oil and large quantities of cargo to international markets.

“Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today as 55 merchant ships transited, moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets,” it said.

The command added that American forces remained deployed in the area to ensure compliance with the agreement.

“US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect,” it said.

Lebanon Violence Complicates Diplomatic Efforts

The latest tensions were triggered by fresh Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which the Israel Defense Forces said were carried out in response to what it called Hezbollah’s repeated violations of the ceasefire.

In a post on X, the Israeli Air Force said Hezbollah had launched more than 50 attacks on Israeli forces and that it had retaliated by targeting dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites and militants overnight.

The Israeli military maintained that it remained committed to the ceasefire while continuing operations to eliminate threats to Israeli civilians and troops.

Hezbollah, however, said it had adhered to the ceasefire since Friday afternoon and accused Israel of attempting to expand its presence in southern Lebanon.

According to The Times of Israel, the group said it had attacked Israeli forces attempting to advance in the region but remained committed to the truce.

“It will not tolerate any attempt by the enemy to seize land and expand its occupation,” Hezbollah said.

Iran Warns of Further Measures

Iran strongly criticised Israeli operations in Lebanon, describing them as a “relentless and continuous violation of the ceasefire”, according to Fars News Agency.

Tehran warned that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz represented only an initial response and indicated that additional measures could follow if the terms of the agreement continued to be breached.

“It is recalled that this step is the first response to the enemy’s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, subsequent steps will be planned and taken to compel the enemy to fulfil its commitments,” an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

As negotiations prepare to begin in Switzerland, the escalating conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah has cast fresh doubt over the durability of the US-Iran truce and the prospects for a broader agreement.

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