High-level talks between the US and Iran that were scheduled for Friday in Switzerland are now off, the Swiss foreign ministry says.
“The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed. Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Bürgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present,” the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to Business Insider.
The trip was initially meant to solidify an agreement struck between Tehran and the US to bring an end to the conflict in Iran.
President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday signed an interim deal to end the war.
The 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday involved an agreement to halt military operations in the region — a reprieve from four months of conflict.
The MOU opened a 60-day timeframe for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear armaments, while creating a window for oil to start moving through the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway through which 20% of the global supply of liquefied natural gas and oil flows.
Under the agreement, commercial ships can resume traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also agreed not to charge tolls for the next 60 days.
The US will also begin lifting its naval blockade of the waterway right away, with the restrictions expected to be fully removed within 30 days, senior officials said.
Oil prices shot up after the Strait was closed on February 28, setting off what the International Energy Agency said in March was the largest disruption ever seen in global oil markets. Prices eased this week following the signing of the interim deal.
Earlier on Thursday, Vance said during a White House press briefing that his “plan is to go to Switzerland,” but he was unsure “exactly when.”
“We think these technical negotiations are going to start sometime this weekend. That’s still the plan, but that could change, because it’s not an easy country — Iran — to get out of, and so we’re trying to figure out exactly when that’s going to happen,” Vance said. “I suspect this weekend, but I’m not sure.”
On Thursday evening, however, a White House spokesperson said Vance would not travel to Switzerland on Friday, per a statement to The New York Times.
“The plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity,” the White House said in the statement. “But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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