With Iran having announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, preliminary talks are beginning in Switzerland at the diplomatic level between Washington and Tehran.
The Swiss television network RTS reported that delegations from U.S. and Iran, as well as the mediating countries, Qatar and Pakistan, are participating in the talks. U.S. media reported that the U.S. mediator, Stephen Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, are on their way to Switzerland. For his part, U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance announced in statements to Fox News that he will also be heading to Switzerland within a day or two.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that the Iranian delegation will depart from Tehran for Switzerland shortly. He warned, however, that “if the other side refuses to fulfill its commitments, Iran will respond by taking the necessary measures.”
“The other side must take the necessary measures as soon as possible; otherwise, the agreement protocol as a whole will be jeopardized,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai, as reported by the IRNA news agency. The agreement protocol between the U.S. and Iran provides, among other things, for a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
Earlier, the Swiss Foreign Ministry announced that Switzerland continues to provide “a discreet and reliable framework” at Burgstock to facilitate talks on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran.
Just a short while ago, however, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces announced the renewed blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in response to attacks by Israel in southern Lebanon, which violate the protocol of the agreement concluded with the United States.
