WANA (Jun 21) – The Bürgenstock Hotel in Switzerland is set to host the first high-level meeting between Iranian and American delegations following the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum, in what is widely seen as the first practical test of both sides’ commitment to implementing the agreement.

 

The Iranian delegation, led by Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, arrived in Zurich late Saturday local time. He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Ali Bagheri, Deputy for International Affairs at the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council, Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, Deputy Oil Minister and National Iranian Oil Company CEO Hamid Bovard, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi, and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.

On the American side, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are already in Switzerland, while Vice President J.D. Vance is also traveling to the country to join the talks. Before departing, Vance said the meetings could last one to two days and would address issues related to implementing the memorandum, the ceasefire in Lebanon, and Iran’s nuclear file.

 

Representatives of the mediating countries are also present in Switzerland. Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had earlier met Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis in Bürgenstock to discuss the latest developments following the Iran-U.S. agreement. Reports also indicate that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir are traveling to Switzerland to participate in the discussions. Pakistan and Qatar played key roles in facilitating the Islamabad Memorandum and establishing the framework for contacts between Tehran and Washington.

 

Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry said it has provided a secure, confidential and reliable environment in Bürgenstock for discussions on implementing the Iran-U.S. memorandum. However, Bern has declined to release details about the participants and the substance of the talks due to their confidential nature.

 

Iran has stated that the primary mission of its delegation is to seek implementation of the commitments outlined in the Islamabad Memorandum. Tehran has stressed that this trip does not mark the start of the proposed 60-day negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement and that moving to the next phase depends on the fulfillment of specific commitments by the other side.

WANA - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi

Before departing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that every understanding and agreement is ultimately tested in its implementation and that, given previous experiences of unfulfilled commitments, Iran will seriously pursue the execution of agreed obligations. He added that negotiations on a final agreement can begin only after the implementation of Clauses 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of the memorandum has commenced and continued, conditions that Tehran says have not yet been fully met.

 

Ending conflicts on all fronts, including Lebanon, the withdrawal of U.S. forces from areas surrounding Iran, and the implementation of commitments aimed at easing the impact of sanctions are among Tehran’s main demands.

 

Meanwhile, the continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon have turned Washington’s willingness and ability to fulfill its commitments regarding an end to hostilities into one of the central issues of the Bürgenstock meeting.

 

The outcome of the talks is therefore expected to provide the first clear indication of the other side’s readiness to honor its commitments and pave the way for a second phase of negotiations between Tehran and Washington.