Tehran has held back from technical negotiations after Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon intensified.
Published On 19 Jun 2026
Planned talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran on the technical details of their ceasefire agreement have been postponed.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed early Friday that the meeting, scheduled to take place in Burgenstock, would not go ahead as planned.
Reports said Iran delayed sending its delegation to discuss technical issues related to the ceasefire deal, which Washington and Tehran digitally signed on Wednesday, because of Israel’s continuing military operations in Lebanon.
Israeli strikes overnight and into Friday reportedly killed at least 16 people in southern Lebanon, while Iran-linked Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.
Talks postponed
A ceremony and subsequent negotiations had been expected at the Burgenstock Resort in Stansstad, near Lucerne in central Switzerland.
The resort is owned by Katara Hospitality, part of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. Qatar helped mediate the ceasefire agreement.
On Friday, the Swiss Foreign Ministry told AFP: “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 Burgenstock is continuing,” it added, without announcing a new date.
The announcement came after Lebanese media outlet Al-Mayadeen reported that Iran was delaying its delegation’s travel to Switzerland over Israel’s ongoing campaign in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israeli forces would remain in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon for as long as “Israel’s security needs require it.”
Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the agreement, but Iran has insisted that Israel must withdraw from the large areas of southern Lebanon it is occupying.
Logistics have never been ‘simple or predictable’
The US effort to quickly begin high-stakes negotiations with Iran hit a setback just two days after the signing of a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which sets out a framework for talks during a 60-day negotiation period.
Vice President JD Vance had been preparing for an overnight flight to meet Iranian counterparts at a mountainside resort in the Swiss village of Obburgen.
His staff and a small group of journalists had gathered at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington in preparation for the trip.
Dozens of White House officials, advance staff and members of the media had also gathered in Switzerland ahead of Vance’s expected arrival.
But the trip was abruptly called off on Thursday evening.
The White House said Vance, whom President Donald Trump has tapped to lead the negotiations, and his delegation were ready for talks but unable to finalise arrangements, so the vice president would remain in Washington.
“The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement said.
Also on Thursday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cancelled his trip to Switzerland, his spokesperson told AFP.