US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday described the US-Iran talks going on in Switzerland as historic. He said President Donald Trump is committed to achieving a regional-wide ceasefire in the Middle East and resuming diplomatic relations with Tehran.
The talks, being held at the luxury Bergenstock resort on the banks of Lake Lucerne, are the first talks after the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was agreed upon between the two sides on June 17. Pakistan and Qatar are playing the role of mediator in this dialogue.
Who participated in the talks
The US delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner. On the Iranian side, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bakar Ghalibaf along with senior officials of the Central Bank and Oil Ministry are included. These talks are taking place at a time when America had launched a strong attack on Iran last week.
‘This is a historic meeting…’
Speaking to reporters at the start of the conference, JD Vance called it a potentially transformative moment for the region. He said, ‘This is a historic meeting. Now the question before us is how much more can we achieve together? Can we make a fresh start? Can we permanently change relations in the Middle East? Or we will go back to the old way, which is not our choice, but there is certainly every possibility of that happening.
What message did President Trump give?
Vance said Trump had instructed the US team to make fundamental changes in relations with Iran if Tehran shows a willingness to abandon activities that Washington considers destabilizing. ‘What President Trump has asked us to do is make a new beginning in transforming our relationship with the people of Iran,’ he said. “If Iran’s leadership is willing to give up causing regional instability, if they are willing to give up long-term nuclear weapons ambitions, then the United States is willing to fundamentally transform our relationship with that country,” he said.
The Vice President made it clear that the objective of the administration is not limited to temporarily ending hostilities. He said ‘Trump is committed to ensuring a complete regional ceasefire’. However, he also admitted that implementing such systems could be challenging. He said that such ceasefires are always a little tricky. Referring to recent progress in Lebanon, Vance said, ‘We have seen great progress in maintaining the ceasefire in Lebanon in the last few days.’
‘Iran is the main cause of regional instability’
JD Vance expressed optimism over the ongoing talks, saying ‘we have made great progress in the last few hours’. He described diplomacy as the preferred path to long-term regional stability. He said, ‘Iran has been a major cause of regional instability. We are trying to work together to change the Middle East through diplomacy. He said the question is whether we can permanently change relations in the Middle East. Vance said that Trump has given negotiators full authority to find a comprehensive solution.
Trump threatens to attack Iran
Despite the conciliatory stance adopted by JD Vance in Switzerland, Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran during the talks. In a post on Truth Social, the US President demanded that Iran curb Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon. Trump wrote, ‘If they don’t do this, we will hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, but even harder!!!’.
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