Witkoff to Join Iran Nuclear Talks in Switzerland After Round Was Canceled

After a round of talks with Tehran was canceled because the Israeli military kept operating in Lebanon and Hezbollah kept firing, the White House said the pause did not mean the end of contacts between Washington and Tehran. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. president’s special envoy, is expected to travel today, Saturday, to Switzerland for the first round of discussions on a possible nuclear agreement with Iran.

An American source told Axios that Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, is already in Europe. Washington said yesterday, "We expect to start technical discussions immediately and will do so as soon as possible," after the United States canceled a planned trip by Vice President J.D. Vance to the talks.

At the same time, the United States told Israel it must stop its strikes in Lebanon immediately. The Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence agencies warned the Trump administration about steps Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to take to undermine an agreement with Iran, amid growing pressure in his coalition not to withdraw from Lebanon.

Trump administration officials are still insisting that the terms of the potential deal do not prevent Israel from responding to Hezbollah fire. They say Netanyahu’s concerns are secondary to the need to finalize an agreement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.