U.S.-Iran Follow-Up Talks Postponed... Iran Says "Negotiations Planned Within Days"

Preparations for Working-Level Talks Continue
Reports of Ceasefire Agreement Between Israel and Hezbollah

Even after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the conflict, Israel has continued its airstrikes on Lebanon, causing immediate disruptions to subsequent post-war negotiations. However, since the Iranian side has indicated its intention to resume talks soon, there remains a possibility that working-level meetings will be held again within a few days.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated on June 19 (local time), "The meeting in Switzerland scheduled for today has been postponed to another date," adding, "Plans are currently being established to hold negotiations within the next few days." Previously, the White House also announced that U.S. Vice President JD Vance's planned visit to Switzerland for follow-up nuclear talks had been postponed.

The government of the canton of Nidwalden, which has jurisdiction over Bürgenstock in Switzerland—the site initially selected for the first working-level negotiations—reported that U.S. and Iranian delegations were scheduled to hold talks to implement the MOU from June 19 to 21, over the weekend. Accordingly, the cantonal government extended movement restrictions in the surrounding area, originally set to last until June 20, to as late as the morning of June 22.

Swiss media reported that even after the Foreign Ministry's announcement of the postponement in the early hours of the day, aircraft belonging to the Qatari government (the mediating country) and U.S. military transport planes landed at Zurich Airport and at a military base near Bürgenstock, respectively. However, even if follow-up negotiations do take place, it remains uncertain whether Vice President Vance and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, will sit down face-to-face as principal representatives of both sides.

There were also reports that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed faction in Lebanon, and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on the afternoon of June 19 through mediation by the United States and Qatar. The ongoing military conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been cited as a reason for the disruptions in the follow-up negotiations between the United States and Iran.

The Israeli military conducted airstrikes on about 80 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon from the previous night into the morning of June 19. The Israeli military stated that these strikes were in retaliation for Hezbollah's "violation of the ceasefire," which resulted in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers.

Article 1 of the ceasefire MOU, signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, stipulates the "immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon."

For Iran, which had set the Lebanon ceasefire as the top priority condition for post-war negotiations, Israel's offensive can only be perceived as a clear violation of the MOU. Some analysts suggest that the Iranian delegation deliberately postponed their visit to Switzerland in protest over Israel's continued attacks.

Spokesperson Baghaei emphasized, "According to the memorandum of understanding, the commencement of negotiations for a final agreement is contingent upon the initiation and continued implementation of Article 1 (ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon), Article 4 (lifting of the U.S. naval blockade), Article 5 (resumption of Iran's activities in the Strait of Hormuz), Article 10 (exemption from sanctions on Iranian crude oil, etc.), and Article 11 (release of Iran's frozen funds)." This is interpreted as pressure that Iran will only participate in substantive negotiations with the United States if Israel immediately halts its airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.