Witkoff Heading to Switzerland for Talks with Iran

Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, will lead the United States in technical-level talks with Iran. A US official confirmed that he will soon depart for Switzerland.

Citing sources, media outlet CNN reported that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is also expected to travel to Switzerland to participate in the potential discussions.

However, the exact schedule for these talks remains unclear. A new round of meetings was scheduled to begin on Friday but was abruptly canceled following a surge in violence between Israel and Hezbollah.

Witkoff and Kushner previously spearheaded the negotiations to finalize the initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran.

On Thursday (June 18) night, the White House announced that Vice President JD Vance would not be traveling to Switzerland for the talks at this time. The overall preparation and management of these discussions have never been straightforward or predictable. Representatives from both sides were scheduled to hold "technical talks" in Switzerland to negotiate the next steps of the signed war-ending agreement.

In a statement, the White House noted that plans for the talks have not yet been finalized. However, they expressed optimism about initiating the technical-level discussions as soon as possible.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry also confirmed that the scheduled meeting between the US and Iran at the Bürgenstock resort has been postponed. Nevertheless, they stated that preparations for the talks remain ongoing.

Meanwhile, the White House added that US Vice President JD Vance remains ready to travel at any moment to participate in the Switzerland talks.

On June 14, Trump announced the finalization of a memorandum of understanding to end the war with Iran.

Last Wednesday (June 17), Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the interim accord. The United States has officially released the detailed 14 points of the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran.