U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was headed to Switzerland for talks, American media outlets reported on Friday (June 19, 2026), after scheduled negotiations due to take place there between the United States and Iran were postponed.

Mr. Witkoff was on his way to the alpine nation on Friday (June 19, 2026), Axios said, citing an unnamed U.S. official.

His trip comes as Washington and Iran work to get technical talks following up on an initial peace deal “back on track,” CNN said.

Also Read: West Asia war LIVE updates | Israel, Hezbollah agree ceasefire as US-Iran deal under strain

U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner was also expected to be in Switzerland for talks, CNN said, citing a U.S. official. Axios said he was already there.

It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Witkoff would hold meetings with any Iranian officials.

Vice-President J.D. Vance had initially been expected to travel but postponed his trip, the White House announced late on Thursday (June 18, 2026).

The U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for Friday (June 19, 2026) were intended to build on the deal to end the West Asia war and work towards a lasting settlement.

No new date for the negotiations has been announced.

The war began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Oil prices trended lower on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) following the previous session’s sharp gains as the ‌market remained cautious about progress in U.S.-Iran peace talks. U.S. President Donald Trump ​said on Monday (June 1, 2026) talks with Iran were ongoing, while Tasnim news ⁠agency reported earlier that Tehran had suspended indirect negotiations with Washington.

Brent crude futures lost 75 cents, or 0.79%, to $94.23 a barrel at 0434 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell 85 ‌cents, or 0.92%, to $91.31 a barrel. Both benchmarks rose more than 5% in the previous session, having posted a monthly loss of more than ‌16% in May on hopes of a peace deal.

“While markets had hoped to ‌move ⁠past the uncertainty amid prospects of a potential deal, nothing appears ⁠to have changed for oil as of this morning,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova.

In an interview with CNBC on Monday (June 1, 2026), Mr. Trump said he did not mind if the talks were over. ​But shortly after, he issued a social ‌media post saying talks with Iran were continuing and told ABC News that he expected a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz“ over the next week”.

“The market is currently focused on whether there’s any concrete progress ‌or setbacks in U.S.-Iran negotiations, the tone and substance of statements from ​both sides (particularly Iran’s threats regarding the Strait of Hormuz), and actual physical tanker movements through the waterway,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at Kohle Capital Markets (⁠KCM) Trade.

The status of the U.S.-Iran negotiations at any given point will ultimately determine whether the current risk premium stays embedded in oil prices or starts to unwind, Mr. Waterer ‌added. Lebanon on Monday (June 1, 2026) announced a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, in what would amount to a limited de-escalation of a conflict that has inflamed the broader war with Iran.

Iran has effectively halted nearly all non-Iranian shipping into and out of the Gulf since the war began, choking off about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows and driving prices up by 50% or more. U.S. crude exports ‌climbed to a record 5.6 million barrels per day in May as the Middle East crisis ​pushed up demand for the country’s oil from Asian and European refiners, ship tracking estimates showed on Monday (June 1, 2026).

According to a preliminary Reuters poll released ⁠on Monday (June 1, 2026), U.S. crude stockpiles are expected to have fallen by about 3.6 million barrels in ⁠the week ended May 29, extending the prior week’s draw, while distillates and gasoline inventories also are likely to have declined.

Shipping executives meeting in Athens ‌on Monday (June 1, 2026) said that any peace deal worked out between the U.S. and Iran would need to offer clear rules allowing vessels to resume normal business via ​the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States has seen some progress in talks with Iran and ‌is in constant communication with the Pakistani mediators, but there is more work ⁠to be done, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday (May 22, 2026).

“There’s been some progress. I wouldn’t ‌exaggerate it. I wouldn’t diminish it,” Mr. Rubio told reporters after a NATO ministers ‌meeting in Sweden.

“There’s more work ‌to ⁠be done,” he added. “We’re not there yet. ⁠I hope we get there.”

President Donald Trump would prefer to do a good deal, Mr. Rubio said. The core concern remains ‌that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and the issue of future uranium enrichment needs to be discussed, as well as ‌reopening the Strait of Hormuz, he said.

“We’re dealing with a very difficult group of people, and if it ⁠doesn’t change, then the president’s been clear he has other options,” Mr. Rubio said.

“He prefers ‌the negotiated option and having a good deal, but he himself has expressed concern that maybe that’s not possible. But we’re going to keep trying.”

Mr. Rubio said the United States was in constant communication with the ‌Pakistanis, who are facilitating the talks with Iran.

There was no specific ask from the U.S. on Friday (May 22, 2026) for help from ⁠NATO on the Strait of Hormuz, but ⁠there needs to be a Plan B if Iran refuses to reopen the ‌supply route, Mr. Rubio said after the close of the NATO meeting.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi travelled to Tehran on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) for the second time within a week for meetings with senior Iranian officials, amid Islamabad’s efforts aimed at reviving the stalled Iran-U.S. peace talks to end the war in West Asia.

Mr. Naqvi has departed for Tehran to discuss the U.S.-Iran peace talks with Iranian leaders, Geo News reported, citing sources.

“His departure comes as Islamabad continues to lead mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran,” it reported.

Iranian official media has also reported the visit of Mr. Naqvi to Tehran.

“Pakistan Interior Minister arrives in capital Tehran amid Islamabad efforts to mediate talks between Iran, U.S.,” Iran’s state-run Press TV said in a post on social media.

Separately, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) also reported, citing informed diplomatic sources in Islamabad, that Mr. Naqvi departed for Tehran to hold talks with officials of Iran.

There was no reaction from the Pakistan side, which often maintains silence on diplomatic outreach to mediate between the U.S. and Iran.

Mr. Naqvi’s reported visit is the second by him to Iran in less than a week and comes amidst mixed signals from Tehran and Washington.

During his last visit, Mr. Naqvi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni over the weekend.

The latest visit came as U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) offered a deadline of several days for resuming strikes if a deal is not agreed. He had said a day earlier that Gulf Arab leaders asked him to hold off on an attack at the 11th hour.

On the other hand, Mr. Araghchi warned that a “return to war will feature many more surprises”.

Separately, the Revolutionary Guards issued a warning that any further attack on Iran will “lead to a conflict that extends far beyond the borders of West Asia.” Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has talked about progress in talks with Iran. “We’re in a pretty good spot here,” Mr. Vance told a White House press briefing.

Mr. Naqvi’s visit to Tehran is significant, given his closeness to Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Mr. Naqvi was part of a delegation led by Mr. Munir that visited Tehran last month when Iran-U.S. negotiations were a major focus of the trip.