Switzerland's foreign ministry announced the start of negotiations between the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Switzerland on Sunday morning. The Iranian delegation is led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and the US delegation by Vice President JD Vance. The first session is being mediated by Qatar and Pakistan; the US is expected to join directly later in the afternoon.
Switzerland's foreign ministry confirmed the formal opening of US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland on Sunday morning. The Iranian delegation, led by former parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the US team headed by Vice President JD Vance have arrived. The initial session is being conducted via Qatari and Pakistani mediation, with the US expected to join direct talks this afternoon.
As The Zioneer reported at 05:57 Jerusalem, an emergency session on Hezbollah was added to the first day's agenda — a report that gained corroboration over the morning: a diplomat at the talks confirmed to CBS that the Israel-Hezbollah session would be the first item (05:57 Jerusalem), and by 11:09 Jerusalem, the addition was further anchored in The Zioneer's broader coverage. The CBS source, initially a single diplomat, remains the sole on-record channel; no additional outlets have independently confirmed it. The Iran-led delegation, meanwhile, landed in Switzerland at 00:13 Jerusalem (The Zioneer, 00:13 Jerusalem), and Pakistan's PM Sharif and Army Chief arrived by 02:18 Jerusalem ahead of their mediation role.
The round unfolds amid an evolving diplomatic architecture. The Zioneer reported (02:00 Jerusalem, Sat) that Vance arrived with envoys Witkoff and Kushner, and that the 'Islamabad Agreement' — a prior framework — is set to be formalized. The first US demand, as reported by The Zioneer at 10:43 Jerusalem, is IAEA inspectors at Iranian nuclear sites. Lebanon's crisis, including Hezbollah's status, has been repeatedly cited by Iranian-linked sources as a priority topic.
A separate unverified report circulating in Lebanese media links the talks to the 'Imad-4' underground tunnel complex in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah operatives are trapped there — but that claim has not been corroborated by official sources and is not part of the confirmed negotiation agenda. It remains unconnected to the formal talks.
6 developments
- StrongIran confirms it will attend Switzerland talks, demands US enforce halt to Israeli Lebanon strikes
- DevelopingBardugo: Israel must be inside the decision table as US-Iran talks continue in Switzerland
- DevelopingAhead of Switzerland talks, first US demand: IAEA inspectors at Iranian nuclear sites
- DevelopingUS, France and Lebanon push for Israeli withdrawal, Hezbollah redeployment talks
Source and signal
- Internal intake