US and Iran open talks in Swiss Alps as Vance hails historic moment and demands nuclear renunciation
Vice President J.D. Vance opened “historic” negotiations with Iran at a luxury Alpine resort on Sunday, saying the talks could transform relations if Tehran renounces nuclear ambitions and regional destabilisation.
Why now
Four days after a fragile protocol was signed at Versailles (by Donald Trump in person and Iran remotely), US and Iranian delegations met for the first time at the Bürgenstock Resort above Lake Lucerne. The protocol was meant to end hostilities across the Middle East, but the ceasefire has been tested by renewed fighting in Lebanon, where at least 28 people were killed late last week.
Who is at the table
The US delegation is led by Vice President J.D. Vance, joined by envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner. Iran sent Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and central‑bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati. Qatari and Pakistani mediators sit in, though Tehran’s side made no public statement on arrival.
What the President asked us to do is turn a new page in order to transform our relationship with the Iranian people, and to reach out to the Iranians.
Vance’s conditions
Vance framed the talks as a binary choice. If Iranian leaders “are ready to permanently abandon any ambition to acquire nuclear weapons,” the United States would “fundamentally transform its relationship with that country.” If not, “a return to old methods” remained a real possibility. He reported “great progress in the last few hours” and expected more overnight, though the negotiations were paused briefly after Donald Trump’s earlier remarks angered Tehran.
It is a historic meeting. I expect that we will make further progress in the hours to come.
Lebanon’s fragile ceasefire
Fighting persisted on Friday and Saturday, undermining the Versailles protocol. Vance nevertheless said he was “actually very pleased with the situation in Lebanon,” claiming “considerable progress” had been made to make the ceasefire hold. US and Qatari‑Pakistani mediators are reportedly working through the night to keep the process alive.
- Protocol agreement signed at Versailles by Trump and Iran remotely
- Renewed fighting in Lebanon kills at least 28 people
- US and Iran begin direct talks at Bürgenstock Resort, Switzerland
What happens next
Washington expects talks to continue through the night. No date for a final agreement has been set. The outcome hinges on whether Iran accepts the nuclear‑renunciation condition and whether the Lebanon ceasefire can be stabilised long enough for detailed terms to be written.
