After the failure to launch the first round of US-Iranian negotiations on its scheduled date yesterday, Friday, in Switzerland, diplomatic moves are still continuing to resume the course of talks between the two parties to resolve the differences between them, to reach a permanent and final peace agreement based on the memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties.
While everyone was anticipating the start of the meeting in the mountain resort of Bürgenstock in Switzerland, indicators appeared – since Thursday evening – revealing that the path had faltered before it even began.
What’s new?
Axios quoted an American official as saying that Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump, will go to Switzerland to hold the first round of talks with Iran regarding a possible nuclear agreement.
The website indicated that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, is already in Switzerland, while an informed source told Axios that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is planning to travel to Switzerland, but the step is still subject to change.
The source reported that Araqchi informed a number of his counterparts that the ceasefire in Lebanon is a critical issue for Tehran, pointing out that Tehran stresses seeing the ceasefire actually enter into force before heading to Switzerland.
Preparations are continuing
Earlier, the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the cancellation of the talks that were scheduled to be held yesterday, Friday, indicating that it is still ready to facilitate the holding of these negotiations.
The Ministry confirmed that the relevant preparatory work in Bürgenstock is continuing, without setting a new date for the start of the meeting between the two sides.
Why were the talks postponed?
The Lebanese file is at the forefront of the reasons hindering the US-Iranian negotiation in Switzerland, where Axios said that the talks were postponed due to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
He pointed out that Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani – who is considered one of the main mediators between the United States and Iran – arrived in Switzerland early Friday.
In this context, CNN quoted sources as saying that Iran requested guarantees regarding stopping Israeli attacks on Lebanon before the start of negotiations with the United States in Switzerland.
These Iranian conditions are based on the memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Tehran, which stipulates an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. However, the United States is still in disagreement with Israel regarding the Lebanese file, as Tel Aviv continues its military attacks on Lebanon.
Iranian officials are busy
In a related development, Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar attributed the failure to start negotiations in Switzerland to the association of Iranian officials with the rituals of the month of Muharram.
He denied the existence of obstacles to the start of negotiations, stressing the need to complete them between Washington and Tehran within 60 days, as stipulated in the signed memorandum of understanding.
Trump: Israel will do what I say
With increasing tensions between the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and officials of the administration of US President Donald Trump, against the backdrop of Washington signing a memorandum of understanding with Tehran; Trump came out – in new statements – saying that “Israel has a lot of respect for him and will do what he says.”
In an interview with Axios, Trump criticized Netanyahu, but described his relationship with him as good, adding, “But we have to keep him a little sane.”
Trump said, “If it had not been for my intervention, Israel would have been crushed,” as the US president’s speech comes with US intelligence agencies warning his administration that Netanyahu may take steps that would undermine efforts to reach a permanent peace agreement with Iran, in light of his determination to continue attacks in Lebanon.
In other statements, Trump repeated his threats to Iran, stressing that if the United States of America does not reach an agreement with Iran, Washington will do “things that do not bring them happiness,” referring to a return to the military option.
As is his habit of combining contradictions in his statements, Trump added: “But I don’t think we will do that.”
What did Iran say?
Although Iran announced the postponement of the meeting that was scheduled for Friday, it confirmed that it plans to hold a meeting in the coming days to negotiate with the American side.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei indicated that his country is in no rush to hold the meeting after signing the text of the memorandum of understanding with the United States, saying that the progress of negotiations related to the US-Iranian agreement depends on commitment to implementing the terms of the memorandum of understanding.
He revealed that consultations regarding the next phase of negotiations to formulate the final agreement between Tehran and Washington are taking place through mediators, and that the details will be announced if the necessary conditions are created to begin negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi – in a phone call on Friday with his Pakistani counterpart, Muhammad Ishaq Dar – held Washington responsible for ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Araqchi warned of the repercussions of any violation of the obligations of the memorandum of understanding signed – last Wednesday evening – between Washington and Tehran, while his deputy, Saeed Khatibzadeh, told Al Jazeera that Tehran is preparing for important talks, noting that the memorandum of understanding stipulates the immediate implementation of 5 items.
A member of the Iranian Expediency Discernment Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said that the text of the agreement must be completely accurate, legally and technically, and be fully consistent with Tehran’s demands, according to what was reported by Iranian television.
Rezaei explained that his country requested the withdrawal of American forces from Iran’s vicinity 30 days after the final agreement, but Washington may say that “the phrase ‘your perimeter’ only includes a range of 12 nautical miles from our coastal waters,” stressing that this is unacceptable to Iran.
What preceded the postponement announcement?
On Thursday evening, a White House spokesman said that US Vice President J.D. Vance had canceled a trip scheduled to meet with Iranian negotiators in Switzerland.
At the same time, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif postponed his visit to Switzerland, after signing the US-Iranian memorandum of understanding electronically remotely.
Last Wednesday, US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, electronically signed a memorandum of understanding that paves the way for ending the war that Washington and Tel Aviv started against Iran on February 28.
The interim agreement stipulates that the United States and Iran announce an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Pakistan – which led the mediation efforts – announced that the memorandum would enter into force, with Iran beginning to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to navigation, in exchange for the United States beginning to lift the naval blockade imposed on Tehran since last April.
