U.S.–Iran Talks Canceled; Israel Blamed

The United States and Iran have postponed a round of technical talks on a peace agreement following Israel’s military operation in southern Lebanon.

Late Thursday, the White House said that a delegation led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance had been preparing to travel to Switzerland for the negotiations. However, the trip was postponed due to the logistical challenges of coordinating talks with the Iranian side, according to CNN.

Earlier in the day, Vance had indicated that he planned to travel to Switzerland, though he noted that the timing of the visit had not yet been finalized.

Vance said that technical talks with Iran aimed at finalizing the agreement are expected to take place this weekend, adding that he ‘fully expects’ to lead the U.S. delegation.

However, the Lebanese news outlet Al Mayadeen reported that the talks have been delayed because of Iran’s stance on Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the report, Iran has made a ceasefire a key condition for moving forward with the negotiations.

“Tehran has warned that Israel’s continued military operations, including attacks reaching as far as 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory, constitute a clear violation of the first clause of the Memorandum of Understanding and the framework agreement,” the source said.

The United States and Iran were previously expected to hold technical talks in Switzerland as part of efforts to prepare the groundwork for a potential peace agreement.

The talks were postponed after the United States announced that it was ending its naval blockade of Iran.

Under a directive from President Donald Trump, U.S. naval forces will no longer obstruct commercial shipping or other maritime traffic operating in Iranian coastal areas.

The imposed restrictions were part of an operation that began on April 13 following unsuccessful bilateral negotiations.

Despite the complete lifting of the blockade, the U.S. presence in the region will remain in place to monitor compliance with the peace agreements.

On June 18, the United States and Iran published the text of a temporary agreement signed by their presidents to bring an end to the war.