International Desk — The highly anticipated Swiss-mediated follow-up talks between the United States and Iran regarding a final peace treaty have been postponed, the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday.
The announcement came after US Vice President JD Vance cancelled his scheduled departure for Switzerland, where delegations from the US, Iran, and mediating nations including Pakistan and Qatar were set to begin a crucial 60-day negotiation window at a mountain resort.
“The preparation and logistics for these talks have never been simple or predictable,” a White House spokesperson stated late Thursday night. “Given the current circumstances, the Vice President will not be departing tonight. However, we look forward to initiating technical discussions as soon as possible.”
The diplomatic shift follows the unexpected Wednesday night digital signing of a historic 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by US President Donald Trump (from France) and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (from Tehran).
While an official signing ceremony was originally slated to take place in Geneva on Friday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf clarified that the formalization event would not proceed, though treaty negotiations were expected to commence.
The 60-Day Window and Core Contentions
The upcoming 60-day dialogue is designated to address complex issues, primarily Iran’s nuclear program and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
When questioned by reporters about the tight 60-day timeline—given that the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal took nearly two years to negotiate—President Donald Trump remarked that he would not be overly concerned about the timeframe as long as Iran “behaves properly.”
Despite optimism surrounding Wednesday’s “historic” MoU, skepticism remains high on both sides. Immediately after signing, President Trump issued a warning, stating that the US would resume military strikes if Iran failed to comply with the terms.
The Israel-Lebanon Factor
Concurrently, geopolitical analysts emphasize that the success of the peace process hinges on regional stability. Despite the MoU’s primary objective to cease hostilities, Israel has continued its military strikes in Lebanon.
Professor Mostafa Khoshcheshm from Tehran’s University of Applied Sciences told Al Jazeera that Israel’s actions pose the biggest threat to the agreement. “If Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon, Iran may walk away from the deal. The responsibility to restrain Israel falls entirely on the United States,” Khoshcheshm warned.
The war, which erupted on February 28, has claimed over 7,000 lives, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders, while triggering severe global economic instability that impacted nations worldwide, including Bangladesh.
However, early signs of the MoU’s economic relief emerged on Thursday. Commercial vessels, including a French-flagged ship and 11 Iranian vessels, safely navigated the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Following the opening of the maritime shipping lane, global crude oil prices dropped significantly, falling below $79 per barrel.