U.S. Vice-President JD Vance speaks to reporters at the White House on June 18, 2026, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP
Talks that had been planned for Friday (June 19, 2026) between the United States and Iran at the Burgenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland will not take place, according to a Swiss foreign ministry statement.
The announcement came after a White House spokesperson said overnight that U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance had pulled out of a planned trip to meet Iranian negotiators in Switzerland to begin talks on implementing an agreement struck between Tehran and Washington to end the war.
West Asia LIVE updates – June 19, 2026
“The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the Vice-President is not departing tonight,” a White House spokesperson said of Mr. Vance late Thursday (June 18, 2026).
“We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible.”
In Iran, the Tasnim agency said “nothing has been confirmed” about the Iranian delegation’s trip to Switzerland.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday (June 18, 2026) that he had approved the agreement, despite reservations, even as the United States lifted a blockade of Iranian ports.
On Friday (June 19, 2026), Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran would give a “decisive” response if the agreement was breached.
Published – June 19, 2026 10:36 am IST
