US-Iran peace talks in Switzerland as Pakistan and Qatar join mediation effort

US Vice President J D Vance said on Saturday that peace talks with Iran were moving ahead. Vance said negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were already in Switzerland. Vance added that Vance planned to join the talks within the next few days. Vance also said discussions were covering technical points.

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Pakistan, described as the main mediator in the West Asia peace process, said the next phase was starting soon. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said technical-level talks were set for the Burgenstock Alpine ridge on Sunday. The Foreign Office also said mediators from Qatar would take part. Iranian state TV also reported Iran’s negotiation team was travelling to Switzerland.

Iran peace talks in Switzerland and the Burgenstock schedule

Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement setting out the meeting plan and date. It said: As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026. The statement added that Islamabad would keep supporting the process in its mediator role. The Burgenstock venue sits on an Alpine ridge in Switzerland.

Vance said the timing depended on senior officials reaching the venue. "Well plan the talks when the principals from the Iranian government, also the Qatari and the Pakistani governments arrive. That may happen as soon as tomorrow, but these things are always a little bit in flux,\" Vance said on Saturday. Vance linked the schedule to the arrival of the main delegations.

Iran peace talks and US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner

Vance said Witkoff and Kushner had started work on the ground in Switzerland. \"Jared and Steve have been on the ground now for a few hours, dealing with some of the technical elements of this negotiation,\" Vance said. Vance said updates received on Saturday morning were positive. \"My understanding, talking to Jared and Steve this Saturday morning, is things are going well,\" Vance said.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the Memorandum of Understanding MoU. The signing opened a 60-day window for negotiations. Technical talks were meant to begin on Friday. They were delayed, mainly after fresh firing between Israel and Lebanon. Pakistan later said the technical track would begin in Burgenstock.

Iran peace talks, US pressure, and Strait of Hormuz status

Vance described US leverage and listed claims about the balance of power. \"What a lot of the criticisms of the deal have really underappreciated is that the United States has all the cards. The straits are now open. The Iranian military is now destroyed. The Iranians have committed to, of course, destroying that stockpile of enriched material,\" Vance said. Vance tied these points to the talks.

Vance said the US could adjust sanctions if Iran met US demands. \"But we have a lot of economic pressure applied to the Iranians that we would be willing to relieve if they do what we need them to do. If they dont do that, of course, theres no skin off our back. Theyre still in a much weakened position,\" Vance said. Vance framed this as conditional relief.

Pakistan also saw movement on the ground in Iran as talks prepared to start. Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reached Iran without prior notice. State-owned IRNA news agency said Naqvi would monitor the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US during the visit. No further details on meetings were given in the report.

The MoU signing this week was followed by the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The route carries about one-fifth of global energy supplies in normal periods. It had been blocked since February 28, after joint US and Israel attacks on Iran. Those attacks triggered retaliatory strikes, and later disruptions. Still, the current situation remained unclear by Saturday.

Reports differed on whether the Gulf chokepoint was open on Saturday. Iran was reported to have shut the waterway again, citing an Israeli attack in Lebanon. Vance, however, said the strait was open. With delegations heading to Switzerland and mediators involved, the next steps depended on technical talks starting at Burgenstock.

With inputs from PTI