PM, field marshal to join Swiss talks on US-Iran deal
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• Iran warns agreement will be ‘in trouble’ without implementation
• Says Strait of Hormuz closed over Israeli attacks in Lebanon
• JD Vance says US negotiators already handling technical elements
• Naqvi arrives in Iran, meets Pezeshkian, Araghchi
GENEVA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir are set to participate in technical-level talks being held at a Swiss retreat on Sunday, as Pakistan and Qatar mediate efforts to keep a preliminary US-Iran deal to halt the Middle East war on track.
The premier, along with a high-level delegation, departed from Islamabad for Switzerland, APP reported.
The talks at the luxury Burgenstock resort near Lucerne come amid renewed fighting in Lebanon and Iran’s announcement that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, developments that have put fresh pressure on the fragile agreement.
The Swiss foreign ministry said diplomats were already in discussions at Burgenstock on Saturday, without giving further details. A diplomatic source told AFP that the discussions under way were preparatory in nature.
Swiss public broadcaster RTS also reported that technical delegations from the United States and Iran, as well as mediators Qatar and Pakistan, were present at the discussions.
“Switzerland continues to provide a discreet and reliable setting to facilitate talks at Burgenstock on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran,” the Swiss foreign ministry said in a brief statement.
“Diplomats from various countries currently present are continuing their efforts to maintain the dialogue. No further information can be provided regarding those present or the discussions,” it added.
Senior-level talks at the hotel complex were initially planned for Friday but were called off as Israel carried out deadly strikes in southern Lebanon.
Swiss track
The official IRNA news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei as saying the delegation would “follow up and demand implementation of the other party’s commitments” under the deal.
An Iranian negotiating team left Iran for Switzerland on Saturday for discussions on the implementation of its agreement with the United States, Iranian state media reported.
“The other side must take the necessary measures as soon as possible. Otherwise, the entire understanding will be in trouble,” he said.
Iranian state media said the delegation heading to Switzerland included top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, among others.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Saturday that he also expected to travel to Switzerland in the coming days for talks with Iran. “I expect that I will leave some time the next couple of days, but, you know, it’s always a delicate coordination dance,” he said.
Mr Vance said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland, handling “some of the technical elements” of the talks and had reported that “things are going well”.
The Foreign Office also said Pakistan would continue to facilitate the process in its role as mediator “with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding”.
The Burgenstock meeting marks the first technical-level engagement since the signing of the Islamabad MoU. Pakistan hosted the signing of the memorandum earlier this month, which was described as a step towards reviving indirect US-Iran diplomacy after years of stalled nuclear and sanctions talks.
Hormuz closure
The Revolutionary Guards’ naval force warned vessels not to approach the waterway, saying that “otherwise, their security will be jeopardised”.
Meanwhile, Iran said it was once again closing the Strait of Hormuz over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Citing a US “breach of contract” and “the Zionist regime’s continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon”, Iran’s central military command announced on Saturday “that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic”.
The strait, a vital conduit for oil and gas shipments, had been blockaded by Iran for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under the preliminary accord signed this week by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had started to pick up in recent days.
The US military, however, denied Iran’s claim that it had closed the waterway.
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”
Centcom said separately that US forces remained “present and vigilant” to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran were adhered to. It said 55 commercial vessels had transited the strait on Saturday and that “safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today”.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, warned that the United States could impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz if negotiators failed to complete a deal to end the war in Iran.
There would be no tolls “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs”, he posted on Truth Social.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi landed in Tehran on Saturday and met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
Naqvi arrives in Iran
The ISNA news agency reports that Mr Naqvi also met and held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei had earlier told ISNA news agency that “Pakistan’s interior minister will arrive in Iran at noon today, Saturday, as part of Pakistan’s efforts regarding the Iran-US negotiations.”
Iranian media also reported that Araghchi, accompanied by Naqvi, was heading for Switzerland.
Iftikhar A. Khan in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2026
