U.S. Vice President JD Vance canceled his planned trip to Switzerland on Friday, where he was expected to meet an Iranian delegation led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The cancellation came after the memorandum of understanding between the two countries was digitally signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
A Vance spokesman said the technical talks had not yet been finalized, though the American delegation was ready to leave as soon as a date was agreed. The White House said the move was not surprising, because logistics with Iran have always been complicated and unpredictable. Senior officials said they would provide updates once a final decision on the next round of talks is made. Reporters traveling with Vance learned of the cancellation while on the tarmac at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington.
At a White House briefing on Thursday, Vance said the U.S. speaks almost daily with Benjamin Netanyahu or other Israeli government officials, as well as with Gulf coalition states and other regional partners. Later, Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States is committed to peace, is encouraging the region to let the talks develop, and expects a full ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel.
Vance also criticized members of Netanyahu’s cabinet who have spoken against the deal and, in some cases, attacked Trump personally. He said Trump is “the only world leader” currently sympathetic to Israel and still leads the world’s superpower, warning that if he were in the Israeli cabinet, he would not attack “the only strong ally” Israel has left. He added that in the last three months, two-thirds of the defense systems protecting Israel were made by American workers and funded by U.S. taxpayers, and said Israelis who see Trump as the main problem should “wake up and smell the reality” of their situation. Still, he stressed that Trump is not abandoning Israel, that Israel has the right to self-defense, and that it should act in a way consistent with the broader peace process. Vance said one reason for Trump’s frustration is that talks appear close to a breakthrough, then a major explosion in a civilian area of Beirut kills people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah.
