Vice President Vance Postpones Switzerland Visit Amid Ongoing Iran Deal Negotiations

The White House announced Thursday that Vice President JD Vance is delaying his scheduled trip to Switzerland for direct talks with Iran, creating uncertainty about the next phase of the peace process.

The statement from the vice president’s office coincided with a briefing at the White House where Vance defended the preliminary agreement aimed at ending the war. He said he was unsure whether he would travel to Switzerland on Friday, where he had been expected to oversee a signing ceremony for the deal.

A new date for Vance’s trip has not been set.

Earlier Thursday, Vance noted that his “plan is to go to Switzerland,” but he did not know “exactly when.” He added, “We think these technical negotiations are going to start sometime this weekend—that’s still the plan—but that could change.”

The situation shifted after administration officials indicated a signing ceremony would take place on Friday. Iran’s Foreign Ministry later reported that Iran’s president had digitally signed the memorandum of understanding with the United States, and that the Swiss ceremony was canceled, according to Iranian state media.

President Trump then signed the document a second time on Wednesday night—after an initial digital signature on Sunday—at the Palace of Versailles before departing France, where he attended the G7 summit. He returned to the White House early Thursday morning.

On Thursday evening, the White House confirmed that Vance’s trip is postponed for the time being.

“The plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the U.S. delegation is ready to depart at the first available opportunity,” the White House statement read. “However, the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable.”

The administration remains eager to begin technical talks as soon as possible.

Vance affirmed his intention to lead the U.S. negotiating team toward a final agreement with Iran, defending the deal amid growing criticism that it could empower Tehran without securing the core objectives outlined by the Trump administration at the war’s outset.

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