US-Iran talks: Vance, Kushner meet Pak PM ahead of key negotiations

US VP JD Vance, Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir in Switzerland. The meeting precedes negotiations with Iran aimed at restoring peace in West Asia under a 14-point MoU.

US Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner held a meeting with the Pakistani mediating team in Switzerland's Burgenstock resort on Sunday ahead of negotiations with the Iranian delegation scheduled for later in the afternoon. The members of the American delegation were seen exchanging handshakes with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir.

Key Delegations and Diplomatic Push

This key meeting took place shortly after Pakistan's Prime Minister Sharif, accompanied by Army Chief Munir and a high-level delegation, arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to participate in technical-level talks between the United States and Iran aimed at restoring peace in West Asia. The diplomatic push gained momentum following the arrival of American and Iranian delegations in Switzerland for this upcoming round of negotiations.

These talks are being held under a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) finalised on June 17 by US President Donald Trump and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pakistan, acting as a guarantor of the agreement, and Qatar are slated to participate in the proceedings as mediators. To join these proceedings, US Vice President JD Vance landed in Switzerland earlier on Sunday, joining American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who were already on site to handle the technical aspects of the dialogue.

Iranian Negotiating Team

Concurrently, the Iranian delegation also arrived in Switzerland to lay out its terms. Iranian state television reported that Tehran's negotiating team comprises parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, alongside officials from Iran's central bank and oil ministry.

Stakes High Amid Regional Tensions

The MoU initiated a 60-day window for these negotiators to iron out key disputes and establish stability across West Asia. While the technical-level talks were originally scheduled to commence on Friday, they faced sudden delays, primarily due to recent exchanges of fire between Israel and Lebanon, which threatened to derail the diplomatic timeline.

A primary objective behind these urgent negotiations is securing global energy corridors. The finalisation of the MoU had prompted the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz maritime route, which handles nearly 20 per cent of global energy supplies under normal conditions. The waterway had been blocked since 28 February following joint military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran, which provoked retaliatory actions from Tehran. However, contradictory reports emerged on Saturday, as Iran claimed it had shut down the waterway again following an Israeli strike in Lebanon, whereas the United States maintained that the maritime route remained open. (ANI)

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