Update (Saturday, June 20): Despite the postponement, the talks are restarting — American negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are traveling to Switzerland, where the Iranian foreign minister also headed on Saturday. Vice President Vance, however, is again not traveling, and Tehran emphasizes that it is in no hurry to meet. Trump threatened that if Iran does not sign the agreement, the US will "take action." (Welt ↗, ORF ↗, Ukrainian Pravda ↗, Wirtualna Polska ↗)
Update — Sunday, June 21, afternoon. The talks have meanwhile actually begun: the US and Iranian delegations sat down at Switzerland's Bürgenstock. The first — and according to observers, decisive — item is the situation in Lebanon; without a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, there is a risk that the entire peace plan will stall. At the same time, Tehran insists on its right to enrich uranium and signals that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the Lebanese ceasefire is honored. (BBC ↗, Tages-Anzeiger ↗, FAZ ↗, ANSA ↗)
Update — Monday, June 22, morning. The first round of talks at Bürgenstock has concluded. Mediators Qatar and Pakistan report "encouraging progress": according to them, the parties have agreed on a "roadmap" toward a final treaty within 60 days, including a coordination cell for Lebanon and a communication channel (a "red line") for the Strait of Hormuz. The negotiations lasted almost all night; the Iranian delegation briefly walked out after Trump threatened to "blow up" the strait, but talks ultimately continued. The nuclear question and the dispute over frozen billions remain for the final round. (FAZ ↗, ANSA ↗, Protothema ↗, RTÉ ↗)
The trigger was the overnight strike on Lebanon
A few hours before the planned meeting, Israeli aircraft attacked Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. According to agency reports and Lebanese sources, the airstrikes claimed 15 to 16 lives. The attack came despite the fact that the US and Iran had already signed a framework memorandum ending the war on Thursday — and according to observers, it was precisely the Israeli action that undermined the trust needed for the next round of talks. (ORF ↗, Aftonbladet ↗)Tehran threatens retaliation, Washington reassures Israel
Ahead of the talks, Iran's leadership sharpened its tone, warning that it would respond with a "crushing blow" if the agreement were violated. According to the Slovenian daily Delo, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared that Trump had concluded the agreement "out of desperation." (Trouw ↗, Delo ↗, RTP ↗)From the American side, meanwhile, an unusually conciliatory tone was struck toward Israel itself. Vance told Israeli critics of the deal to "wake up and smell the reality," adding that he would not attack "the one powerful ally he has left." President Donald Trump, meanwhile, spoke of Iran's "unconditional surrender" and claimed that his power "knows no limits" — "who else could have pulled off such a blockade?" Meanwhile, according to Sky News, the United States has lifted the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. (Daily Mail ↗, Digi24 ↗, Sky News ↗, Klix.ba ↗)
Criticism from both sides
The agreement has opponents both inside and outside Tehran. Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, called it a "betrayal" of the Iranian people. And although the White House speaks of victory, Italian media write of a "monumental defeat for Trump at Versailles," where the memorandum was signed on Thursday. (Daily Mail ↗, Il Fatto Quotidiano ↗)The cost of the war and open questions
The real bill for the war remains unclear. According to the Austrian daily Die Presse, the Pentagon needs $80 billion for expenses related to the Iran war and other operations. The BBC, meanwhile, notes that the true death toll of the US-Israeli war against Iran — running into the thousands — may never be precisely determined. (Die Presse ↗, BBC News ↗)The memorandum itself has 14 points, but it has postponed the key questions: the text does not provide for the removal of Iran's enriched uranium, and the dispute over the frozen billions still looms over it. According to CNN, it was precisely the demand to release Iran's frozen funds that stalled the talks. The lifting of the naval blockade is the first tangible concession, but leverage over Iranian oil exports remains a card still in play. (Ukrainian Pravda ↗)
Friday's cancellation thus revealed the fragility of the whole construction: the agreement exists on paper, but its fate is for now being decided by strikes taking place away from the negotiating table.
