Talks between Iran and the United States scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday have been postponed, with Tehran saying negotiations on a final agreement will only move forward once key provisions of the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) begin to be implemented.
The meeting was expected to follow the signing of the "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding" by the two countries a day earlier. The 14-point agreement outlines a framework to end hostilities across the region, including in Lebanon, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, and resolve major outstanding issues within a 60-day negotiation period.
Speaking to reporters, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said consultations are continuing through mediators to prepare for the next stage of negotiations. He stated that formal talks would begin only after the conditions specified in the memorandum are met.
According to Baghaei, the agreement makes the start of comprehensive negotiations conditional on the implementation of several key clauses, including provisions related to security and regional commitments. He added that because the memorandum had already been signed digitally, the planned meeting in Switzerland was no longer considered urgent.
Baghaei said one of the main objectives of the Swiss meeting had been to formally sign the agreement ending what Iran described as the "imposed war." With that step already completed electronically, discussions on future negotiations will instead be held at a later meeting expected in the coming days.
The MoU, finalized after months of Pakistan-mediated negotiations with support from several regional countries, officially entered into force after being signed by the presidents of Iran and the United States. Among its provisions are an immediate halt to fighting across all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iran.
Despite the agreement, tensions remain high in the region. Israel, which was not part of the negotiations, has distanced itself from the accord and continued military operations in Lebanon. Reports indicated that Israeli airstrikes continued in southern and eastern Lebanon even as a ceasefire was scheduled to take effect on Friday afternoon. Lebanese sources reported multiple casualties, while Hezbollah said it carried out retaliatory attacks against Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon.