US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Saturday that he expects to reschedule his trip to Switzerland for US-Iran nuclear negotiations within the next few days.
“I expect that I will leave sometime in the next couple of days, but you know it’s always a delicate coordination dance and the diplomatic protocols,” Vance stated, adding that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are already in Switzerland.
Vance also told Fox that there is no evidence that Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz, despite Iranian state media reports that Iran’s top joint military command ordered the Strait to be closed due to Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The comment was made after Iran’s top joint military command had announced Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is “closed to vessel traffic,” Iranian semi-official state media MEHR reported.
Iranian officials said that they made the decision to shut the strait as a result of the ceasefire infringements in Lebanon.
US-Iran talks set to be delayed
In his comments to Fox, Vance claimed that talks with Iran are going well and added that he is committed to giving the negotiations a chance.
This comes after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff reportedly landed in Switzerland to begin meetings with the Iranian delegation for the 60 days of talks outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani arrived in Switzerland on Friday and is set to mediate the US-Iran talks, Axios reported
Israel-Lebanon talks to resume
Talks between Israel and Lebanon are scheduled to continue June 23-25 in Washington, according to a Friday US State Department announcement.
Also on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio “reiterated the need to disarm” Hezbollah during a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Rubio also reaffirmed US “support for the Government of Lebanon’s efforts to create a fully sovereign Lebanese state that is at peace with all its neighbors,” according to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Secretary of State Rubio is planning a trip to the Middle East next week, Axios reported on Friday, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The secretary of state will reportedly visit Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
Ravid further reported that Rubio will hold a summit with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministers in Bahrain.
