BUERGENSTOCK, Switzerland, June 21 — U.S. and Iranian negotiators started talks Sunday at Buergenstock mountain resort in central Switzerland on implementing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two sides to reach a final deal.
The talks mark the first round between the two sides after the signing of the MoU aimed at ending conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who leads the U.S. negotiating team, said before the talks that the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the ending of the Iranian nuclear program have already been accomplished.
“The question before us now is, how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf? 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,” Vance said.
The U.S. negotiating team also includes U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The Iranian delegation includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials, according Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.
Pakistani and Qatari mediators are participating in the talks. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi is also at the site, as he said on social platform X that he met with Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis there to discuss “recent developments regarding Iran” and other issues.
“At this critical moment, it’s important to give diplomacy every opportunity to succeed,” Grossi said. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
