Published on 6/19/2026
The White House announced today, Friday, the postponement of the upcoming round of negotiations between the United States and Iran in the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock, justifying this with “logistical complications,” at a time when the “Axios” website revealed additional reasons related to the complications of the Iranian delegation’s travel and their connection to the escalating tension in Lebanon.
In this context, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Washington, Murad Hashem, explained, quoting the White House, that US Vice President J.D. Vance, who was scheduled to lead the American delegation, will not travel to Switzerland, while the American technical team remains ready to negotiate at any time.
Hashem added that the news site quoted an American official as saying that “Iranian reluctance” may be behind the postponement, amid anticipation of Tehran’s official position, which has not yet been issued.
Hashem pointed to statements by US President Donald Trump in which he considered the memorandum of understanding “an unconditional surrender on the part of Iran,” in response to Democratic and Republican criticism that described the memorandum as “a declaration of defeat for America.”
The US administration intensified its efforts to defend the memorandum, as Vance held a lengthy press conference, officially sent the memorandum to Congress, and informed the relevant committees of its details.
Iran’s position
On the other hand, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran, Adnan Bourini, stated that the official Iranian position has not yet been issued regarding the postponement, but official sources indicated that “sending the Iranian delegation to Geneva has not yet been decided,” with internal consultations continuing.
Borini explained that successive Iranian statements over the past hours – from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf – focused on a basic condition: “building on Washington’s commitment to the terms of the memorandum of understanding,” especially with regard to the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Borini added that Tehran stresses that the ceasefire in Lebanon is “the starting point of the memorandum,” and that the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory is a clear clause included in the memorandum under the title “Lebanon’s sovereignty over its entire territory.”
He pointed out that the Speaker of Parliament stressed in a previous call with his Lebanese counterpart, Nabih Berri, the necessity of the Israeli army’s withdrawal and the return of the displaced.
Brief statement
From the headquarters of the upcoming negotiations, Al Jazeera correspondent Muhammad Al-Baqali reported that the Swiss government contented itself with a brief statement confirming that the meetings that were scheduled today will not be held, indicating that security and logistical measures are still in place, which may indicate a postponement and not a complete cancellation.
Al-Baqali pointed out that a state of confusion and confusion prevailed on the scene from the beginning, as neither Washington nor Tehran conclusively confirmed their presence, and Vance spoke in terms of “the possibility of attendance.”
A White House spokesman said late Thursday, “The logistics of these negotiations have not been simple or predictable at all, so far, the Vice President will not leave tonight,” adding, “We look forward to starting technical talks as soon as possible.”
On the 17th of this month, the American and Iranian presidents signed the memorandum of understanding that was reached electronically, in a step described as a surprise that preceded the scheduled date in Geneva.
The signing took place in two different scenes, as Trump documented the moment of the signing at the Palace of Versailles in Paris during a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron, while Zeshakian contented himself with a single photo devoid of any celebratory appearances.
