Iran announced that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who also heads the negotiating team, will lead the Iranian delegation to Switzerland for the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Reports say the signing is expected Friday, with Vice President JD Vance likely heading the American delegation.
Iran announced Tuesday evening that Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who also heads the country's negotiating team, will lead the Iranian delegation to Switzerland for the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the United States. The confirmation, via Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, follows days of conflicting signals about who would represent Tehran alongside Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — from earlier reports that Qalibaf and Araghchi would both travel to Geneva, to speculation that the signing might be conducted virtually.
The signing ceremony is expected Friday, June 19, at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland, as confirmed by the Swiss Foreign Ministry on Monday. Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead the American delegation, according to Iranian reports. Qalibaf's appointment at the head of the delegation — rather than a foreign ministry official — signals the political weight Iran assigns to the signing. The event would mark the first official face-to-face meeting between senior Iranian and American officials in 47 years, as multiple thread items noted.
As The Zioneer reported, the venue and date had been narrowing through the weekend: a diplomat told Israeli journalist Barak Ravid on Friday that Vance might fly to Geneva; by Sunday the Saudi channel Al-Hadath reported a virtual meeting; and on Monday the Swiss Foreign Ministry formalized the Bürgenstock site. Over the same period, Vance confirmed his attendance in a Fox News interview and a U.S. official claimed the deal had already been signed electronically by Trump, Vance, and Qalibaf — a claim that remains unverified.
What remains open: while the date, venue, and Iranian delegation lead have been confirmed through official Iranian and Swiss channels, the exact format of the signing — whether in-person or hybrid — and whether President Trump will also attend, as Vance suggested, have not been formally announced. Verification of the digital signing claim is still pending.
12 developments
- DevelopingAl-Hadath: US, Iran to virtually sign MOU; Vance and Qalibaf to attend
- DevelopingReports: Iran's parliament speaker Ghalibaf is the real power behind the scenes
- StrongVP Vance says he and possibly Trump will attend US-Iran MOU signing in Geneva
- StrongIranian parliament speaker Ghalibaf posts on X in new social-media message
Source and signal
- Internal intake