Pakistan PM, army chief head to Switzerland for US-Iran talks

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir left for Switzerland early Sunday to attend US-Iran talks in Bürgenstock, the Prime Minister's Office said.

The session follows the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier in the week.

When are the US-Iran talks in Switzerland happening?

The talks are scheduled for June 21 in Bürgenstock, following the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this week.

The agreement set the framework for renewed diplomatic engagement aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Middle East. Sharif is leading a high-level delegation and is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Iranian, US, Qatari and Swiss representatives.

Why did Iran threaten to close the Strait of Hormuz again?

Iranian negotiators and US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday even as Tehran said it was closing the Strait of Hormuz again over Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Iran's central military command cited a US "breach of contract" and what it called Israel's "continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon," saying the strait "will be closed to vessel traffic."

Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was blockaded by Iran for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under the preliminary accord signed by Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had begun to recover. US Central Command said after Iran's announcement that safe passage through the waterway had "remained intact" and that US forces were "present and vigilant."

What did Trump say about tolls on the Strait of Hormuz?

Trump warned that Washington could impose its own tolls on Hormuz if negotiators failed to complete the deal.

There would be no tolls "unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America," he wrote on Truth Social.

Why were the Switzerland talks postponed earlier?

Follow-up talks had been planned in Switzerland on Friday but were postponed at the last minute after Israel launched deadly strikes in Lebanon following the deaths of four of its soldiers in combat. Washington announced a renewed ceasefire there later Friday, a condition of its preliminary agreement with Iran, but Israeli troops clashed again with Hezbollah fighters on Saturday, with each side accusing the other of breaking the truce.

Before boarding his flight to Europe, Vance told reporters he hoped to "make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're going to be focused on."

Who is attending the Switzerland talks?

An Iranian delegation arrived in Switzerland late Saturday, state media and the Swiss foreign ministry said. Iran's official broadcaster said it included Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the delegation would "demand implementation of the other party's commitments" under the deal, warning that "otherwise, the entire understanding will be in trouble," according to official news agency IRNA.

Vance arrived at Emmen Air Base in Switzerland on Sunday morning, having earlier said he could only stay "a day or two." US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already there handling "some of the technical elements" and had reported that "things are going well," Vance said in an interview with Fox News on Saturday.

What role is Pakistan playing in the talks?

Pakistan's Foreign Office said Islamabad would continue to support implementation of the US-Iran understanding reached earlier this month, describing its role as facilitative and diplomatic. It added that the process marked the first formal engagement between Tehran and Washington since the June 17 memorandum and reflected Pakistan's "principled, balanced and constructive approach" to regional stability.

Pakistan, acting as mediator, said Sunday that Sharif and Munir had left for Switzerland to take part in high-level talks involving US and Iranian representatives and other mediators from Qatar. The talks are meant to open a two month negotiation period on issues left unresolved by the initial accord, notably Iran's nuclear program.

With additional input from AFP