Iran's foreign ministry says talks with the US in Switzerland have been postponed to a later date, and adds that a memorandum has already been signed, reducing the need for urgency. The ministry links the resumption of talks to implementation of clauses calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS).
In a statement Friday evening, Iran's foreign ministry offered a new public justification for the postponement of talks with the US that were originally set for Switzerland, according to Amichai Stein (i24NEWS). The ministry now says a memorandum of understanding has already been signed, reducing the urgency for a new meeting date, and links any resumption of negotiations to the fulfillment of three conditions: a ceasefire in Lebanon, unimpeded shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and the removal of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. This marks a shift in tone from earlier in the day, when Tehran cited Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon as the reason for cancelling the talks altogether.
Earlier on Friday, The Zioneer reported at 09:22 Jerusalem that the US-Iran talks scheduled for that day had been canceled; initial reports at that time offered no reason for the cancellation. By 09:22, both Iran and President Trump were publicly blaming Israel for the cancellation, though without corroboration. At the same time, Iran's state-affiliated Nur News agency called the cancellation significant and questioned whether Washington could compel Israel to abide by the diplomatic memorandum — a framing The Zioneer subsequently covered in a dedicated report. The thread has evolved from a brief, unexplained cancellation notice to an increasingly detailed sequence of stated causes, though the actual Iranian decision-making process remains opaque.
As The Zioneer reported on Thursday, negotiations had already been delayed as Tehran demanded a halt to Israeli operations in Lebanon. The White House had attributed Vice President Vance's postponed trip to Switzerland to logistics, a claim that was not independently verified. By Friday afternoon, Iran announced it was freezing the talks altogether and linked their resumption to a ceasefire in Lebanon, with its navy closing the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.
It remains unclear what precisely has been signed between the parties and by whom. The foreign ministry's latest statement provides new conditions but offers no timeline for implementation or for rescheduling the talks themselves.
7 developments
- DevelopingIran: Talks underway for meeting 'in coming days' as MOU signed digitally
- StrongIranian source: Strait of Hormuz reopening to begin Friday after MoU signing
- ConfirmedIran's Tasnim adds details on US-Iran MOU: last-minute changes, Hormuz opening delayed
- StrongTrump: US and Iran close to 60-day ceasefire deal, Strait of Hormuz to reopen
Source and signal
- Internal intake