US, Iran to hold technical-level talks in Switzerland on Sunday

Iran has agreed to travel to Switzerland to hold the next-phase negotiations with the US after a last-minute refusal to attend Friday’s talks over continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

According to a Pakistani Foreign Ministry release, the “technical-level talks” between the US and Iran will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland on Sunday in the presence of mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.

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“As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June 2026. Representatives of the United States and Iran, along with Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions,” the release stated.

The Ministry further underscored Pakistan’s resolve to “facilitate” the negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

“Pakistan will continue to facilitate the process in its role as mediator, with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” the release added.

Earlier in the day, the Swiss Foreign Ministry stated that the global efforts over the US-Iran peace agreement are ongoing.

According to CNN, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said that diplomats “from various countries” are “continuing their efforts to maintain the dialogue” between Washington and Tehran.

While declining to disclose the identities of the participants in the discussions, the ministry confirmed that Switzerland has offered the Burgenstock resort, located above Lake Lucerne, as a “discreet and reliable setting” to help advance the digitally signed Memorandum of Understanding between the two nations, CNN reported.

The developments come as Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that an Iranian delegation will travel to Switzerland, demanding adherence to the terms of the digitally signed MoU with the US.

Meanwhile, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, are already in Switzerland ahead of the negotiations.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, also arrived in Switzerland on Friday, as Qatar is considered one of the principal mediators facilitating contacts between Washington and Tehran. (With inputs from agencies)