Switzerland said U.S. talks with Iranian negotiators on a pact to end the war in West Asia would not take place on Friday (June 19, 2026), while Vice President JD Vance dropped plans to travel there, fuelling uncertainty whether a lasting truce ‌can be found.

Senators are seeking to block Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel funds until the Pentagon submits several overdue reports to lawmakers, including its investigation into a deadly strike on an elementary school in Iran at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war.

According to an annual defence authorization bill, filed this week, much of the travel funds for the Defence Secretary’s office may not be spent until Mr. Hegseth submits “unredacted civilian harm investigations,” including for the Feb. 28, 2026, strike on the Minab school. Officials have preliminarily said the U.S. was responsible for the strike, which was blamed on outdated intelligence.

Congress, which conducts oversight of the Pentagon, has not yet received the Defence Department’s report on the investigation. It is believed to have been completed last month.

-AP