US-Iran talks postponed as Israel attacks Lebanon

Planned talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran to discuss the technical terms of their ceasefire deal have been postponed.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed early on Friday that the talks, which were scheduled to take place in Burgenstock, would not go ahead. The postponement has raised fears that the ceasefire deal signed by the US and Iran earlier this week could unwind already.

Reports suggest that Iran has delayed sending its delegation to discuss the technical issues linked to the ceasefire deal – digitally signed by the two countries on Wednesday – due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon.

Israeli attacks overnight and into Friday have reportedly killed at least 16 people in southern Lebanon, with Iran-linked Hezbollah reporting intense fighting.

The impasse has raised fears that the ceasefire deal threatens to unwind already.

Iran, which has recently sensed Trump’s enthusiasm to agree an end to war increasingly unpopular in the US, has responded bullishly, declaring that Tehran had reservations even while nodding to the plan.

Chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Friday that any talks would remain bound by Tehran’s “red lines”. A halt to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon was one of Tehran’s key demands in negotiations around the deal.

“If the enemy seeks to be excessive, we have proven that our fingers are on the trigger and we have no hesitation in giving a crushing response to the enemy,” Ghalibaf said according to the official IRNA news agency.

Concern over the health of the deal saw mediators including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agree to gather for talks in the Egyptian city of Alamein on Sunday, Cairo and Islamabad said.

Talks postponed

A ceremony followed by talks was expected to be held at the Burgenstock Resort in Stansstad, near Lucerne in central Switzerland.

It is owned by Katara Hospitality, part of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, which helped mediate peace in the conflict.

On Friday, in a message to the AFP news agency, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said: “The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed.

“Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing,” it added, without providing a new date for them.

The announcement followed a report from media outlet Al Mayadeen that Iran was delaying sending its delegation to Switzerland over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s military will stay in a “security zone” of southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it”.

Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the agreement, but Iran has insisted Israel must withdraw from the large swath of southern Lebanon it is occupying.

Logistics have never been ‘simple or predictable’

The US push to quickly begin high-stakes talks with Iran hit a snag just two days after signing a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which sets out a framework for talks during a 60-day negotiation period.

Vice President JD Vance had been prepared to make an overnight flight to meet with his Iranian counterparts at the mountainside resort in the tiny Swiss village of Obburgen.

His staff and a small group of journalists had even gathered at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington in anticipation of the trip.

Meanwhile, dozens of White House officials, advance staffers and more media gathered in Switzerland to prepare for Vance’s arrival.

But then, abruptly on Thursday evening, the trip was called off.

The White House issued a statement explaining that Vance – who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the negotiations – and his delegation were prepared for talks, but they were unable to finalise plans and the vice president would remain in Washington.

“The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement noted.

Also on Thursday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif cancelled his trip to Switzerland, his spokesperson told AFP.