Vance delays Swiss trip as White House says Iran war talks not simple

WASHINGTON – US Vice-President J.D. Vance will not depart on the night of June 18 for face-to-face negotiations with Iran in Switzerland, the White House said, as the US and Iran begin a 60-day countdown to reach a nuclear agreement and a more permanent peace deal.

Vance told reporters at a briefing earlier in the day that he believed the technical talks would begin at some point this weekend and that he would travel to Switzerland.

A White House spokesperson said on June 18 the plans for nuclear talks had not been finalised and cited difficult logistics of the negotiations. The spokesperson said an American delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity.

US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart on June 17 signed an interim agreement to end the months-long war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

During the talks, the sides will try to agree on restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program and how to dilute or destroy its stocks of highly enriched uranium.

Many nuclear experts say 60 days is not enough time to work out something so complex and technical. The agreement does say the timeframe can be extended. The 2015 nuclear accord, which Trump derided and abandoned during his first term, took about two years to finalise.

As the two sides begin to stake out negotiating positions for the next phase of talks, Vance and Trump have sought to counter criticism – including from their political allies – that Iran had gotten the better of them in the initial memorandum. BLOOMBERG