Delegations from the United States and Iran convened with Pakistani mediators in Switzerland ahead of the much-anticipated technical discussions between Washington and Tehran. These talks, enabled by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) brokered by Pakistan, are known as the ‘Lake Lucerne Summit’ and are set to last four days.
The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and including special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, first met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the chief of defence forces and army chief. Prior to the meeting, VP Vance expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s mediation during the nearly four-month-long conflict, initiated by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28, stating, “We love Pakistan.”
Following this, the Iranian delegation comprising Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the Pakistani side, which included PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who has recently made several visits to Iran.
Earlier, the Foreign Office announced that senior delegations from Iran, Qatar, and the US would participate in these talks, marking the first formal engagement since the Islamabad MoU was signed on June 17. Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the agreements reached between Tehran and Washington, emphasizing its balanced and constructive facilitative role throughout the crisis.
Pakistan’s mediation efforts included hosting previous rounds of US-Iran negotiations and sustaining diplomatic contacts that culminated in the memorandum. This meeting in Switzerland follows shortly after the electronic signing of the Islamabad MoU by the US and Iran, aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict.
US President Donald Trump had announced the agreement, highlighting provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports. Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the accord on behalf of their countries, with PM Shehbaz later signing as the mediator to formally seal the deal.
The upcoming talks come amid renewed tensions complicating the fragile US-Iran agreement. Notably, Iran announced on Saturday the closure of the Strait of Hormuz again in response to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, a development occurring as negotiators prepared to travel to Switzerland to maintain progress in the peace process.
Originally scheduled for Friday, the follow-up talks were postponed due to Israel’s deadly strikes in Lebanon, which heightened uncertainty over efforts to resolve the broader Middle East conflict.
