Talks between Iran and the United States opened in Switzerland on 21 June 2026, with the agenda centered on a wider ceasefire in Lebanon and Iran’s frozen assets. Vice President J.D. Vance said he felt “very good” about the situation in Lebanon and framed the meeting as part of a broader effort to reshape the Middle East through diplomacy.
Vance said Washington was trying, “through diplomacy, through working together, to change the Middle East,” arguing that Iran had long been a major source of regional instability. He said the goal was to build a future in which countries in the region could cooperate for “peace and prosperity,” and he pointed to lower fuel prices and restored oil and gas flows in the United States as evidence that calmer relations can produce results.
Calling the encounter “historic,” Vance said the U.S. and Iranian leadership had never met at such a high level before, aside from contacts in Islamabad and in recent months. He said President Donald Trump had asked negotiators to “open a new page,” change ties with the Iranian people, and reach out directly to them. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also welcomed the meeting, saying he hoped it would produce “very fruitful and meaningful” results and thanking Trump for “visionary and very dynamic” leadership.
Despite the diplomatic tone, tensions remained high. Iranian media quoted Revolutionary Guards sources saying the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed until further notice, after a previous announcement that it was shut because of Israeli violations in Lebanon. U.S. Central Command said the strait remained open and secure, with U.S. forces present to protect shipping.
Iranian officials also linked their demands to Lebanon to broader negotiations, warning that regional energy flows could stop if the agreement remained only “on paper.” President Masoud Pezeshkian said all the memorandum’s provisions served Iran’s interests, claimed $6 billion in Iranian money held in Qatar would be returned, and said the only American condition was that Iran not obtain a nuclear bomb. He added that Iran had signed a commitment not to possess nuclear weapons. AP reported that Trump also threatened heavy American transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz if there is no final, permanent deal.
