JD Vance in Switzerland: Iran-US Race Against 60-Day Deadline to Secure Nuclear Deal
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New Delhi, June 21: A day after Tehran once again claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz, US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland to officially begin talks with Iranian leaders. The discussions aim to limit Iran’s nuclear programme and strengthen the fragile interim agreement that recently helped bring an end to the conflict in Iran.
The framework agreement was signed last week. Now, senior negotiators from both the United States and Iran have just 60 days to work out the technical details of a final deal. The outcome of these talks could have major consequences for global security and the world economy.
However, the start of the negotiations has faced several challenges. Heavy fighting broke out in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group. The violence raised fears of a wider regional conflict and increased tensions across the Middle East.
Adding to the uncertainty, Iran’s military announced that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz.
This narrow waterway is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, carrying around one-fifth of all globally traded oil and natural gas. Any disruption to traffic through the strait can affect energy supplies and push up fuel prices worldwide.
JD Vance had originally planned to arrive at the luxury Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on Friday, where the negotiations are being held. However, he delayed his departure from the United States after the fighting in Lebanon intensified. At the same time, Iranian officials cancelled their initial plans to attend the talks, creating further uncertainty over whether the negotiations would proceed.
Despite these setbacks, both sides have now returned to the table. The next two months are expected to be crucial as the United States and Iran attempt to reach a lasting agreement that could shape the future of the Middle East and help stabilise global energy markets.
US Central Command disputed Iran's claim that it had once again shuttered the strait and said US forces continued to monitor the situation to ensure traffic continues to flow through the waterway. Vance has said that millions of barrels of oil have moved through the strait in recent days.
Vance departed the US just after Iranian state TV said Iran's negotiators had arrived in Switzerland. Tehran's negotiators include parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials.
The US vice president joins special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, who have already been on the ground to begin sifting through the technical details of the nuclear talks.
The talks between US and Iran will also include Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, as well as Qatari mediators.
While Vance said he planned to be in Switzerland for just “a day or two,” leaving much of the detailed negotiations to be spearheaded by Witkoff and Kushner, his role in the talks has heightened the scrutiny of the vice president at a time when he's actively considering a 2028 presidential campaign.
Trump and Vance have come under searing criticism from parts of their own party for the deal, with Republican hard-liners unfavourably likening it to a nuclear agreement signed by the Obama administration that Trump and the GOP have insisted did nothing to actually terminate Iran's nuclear programme.
The agreement says commercial vessels can pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without a charge, but does not preclude future fees imposed by Iran.
Trump made his own threat on Saturday to levy US tolls on the strait if there is no deal with Iran in 60 days, insisting in a social media post that the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”
Further complicating matters, neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the deal between the US and Iran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep his forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in the initial days after the agreement between the US and Iran killed 47 people in Lebanon, as well as four Israeli soldiers.
(With Inputs from news agency AP)
