Technical-level talks between Iran, US scheduled for tomorrow in Switzerland: FO

The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday announced that technical-level talks, as a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will be held in Buergenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday.

Thursday proved to be a red-letter day for Pakistan, as the country awoke to news of a long-awaited peace deal finally being signed between the US and Iran, heralding an end to the bitter animosity that has afflicted the Middle East and plunged the world into crisis for months.

“Representatives of the United States and Iran, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions,” the FO said.

“Pakistan will continue to facilitate the process in its role as mediator, with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”

Earlier today, US Vice President JD Vance said he intends to travel to Switzerland for talks “soon” and that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, are already in Switzerland for negotiations.

Speaking to Fox News, he said negotiations with Iran “are going well”, but that the US “has all the cards”.

Meanwhile, Iran also announced that it will be sending a delegation to Switzerland for the talks, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in remarks carried by the Fars news agency.

“In Switzerland, we intend to press for the fulfilment of the other side’s commitments and clarify how they plan to act on their obligations,” Baghaei was quoted as saying, emphasising that Iran adhered to its side of the agreement, and the United States is “obligated to compel the Zionist regime (Israel) to cease its attacks on Lebanon”.

“If part of the counterpart’s commitments is not implemented, the entirety of the agreement will be jeopardised,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying. “The counterpart must take the necessary measures as soon as possible; otherwise, the agreement will be jeopardised,” he added.

The 14-point agreement was signed early on Thursday by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signing as mediator. Under the deal, Tehran and Washington have agreed on a framework to end the war, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a 60-day timeline for further talks.

The deal, ending more than 100 days of war, has been widely welcomed by the international community, after the conflict sent shockwaves across the globe as energy prices skyrocketed due to the Hormuz crisis.

Under the deal, the US will lift its blockade of Iranian ports and Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz for international commercial shipping. Washington also committed to immediately waiving oil sanctions crippling Iran’s economy.

And once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the US will also facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund supported by regional nations, the deal says. ...