US and Iran begin talks on initial peace deal in Switzerland
BBC News 2026-06-21 12:52:00
Context: US and Iranian officials have begun direct talks in Switzerland, aimed at reaching an initial peace deal, following an agreement signed last week to end the war. The talks, taking place at the Bürgenstock mountaintop resort, involve high-level representatives from both countries, as well as mediators from Pakistan. The negotiations focus on key issues, including Iran's nuclear program and the situation in Lebanon.
Key Facts
- The US and Iranian officials arrived in Switzerland for direct talks after signing an initial agreement to end the war last week, which includes a commitment to reach a final agreement within 60 days and an end to hostilities on "all fronts", including in Lebanon.
- The initial agreement also involves the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, although Iran announced it had shut the vital shipping route on Saturday due to ongoing clashes between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- US Vice-President JD Vance, accompanied by Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, met with Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
- The US and Iranian presidents signed the initial agreement earlier in the week, aiming to end the war with immediate effect, which also includes a $300bn plan for Iran's "reconstruction" and the US terminating "all types of sanctions" on it.
- Despite the deal, deadly clashes have continued between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia, with Israel insisting that its conflict with Hezbollah is separate from the war on Iran, which it mounted alongside the US on 28 February.