Iran on Saturday declared the Strait of Hormuz shut, appearing to raise the stakes ahead of the talks as both sides seek to advance an interim deal signed on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end their almost four-month war.
The IRGC warned ships ?not to approach the waterway, a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies whose closure Iran has used as leverage, citing what it called Israeli “crimes” in Lebanon and a US violation of commitments to establish a ceasefire. It said vessels would be at risk if they approached.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday announced that technical-level talks, as a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will be held in Buergenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday.
Thursday proved to be a red-letter day for Pakistan, as the country awoke to news of a long-awaited peace deal finally being signed between the US and Iran, heralding an end to the bitter animosity that has afflicted the Middle East and plunged the world into crisis for months.
“Representatives of the United States and Iran, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions,” the FO said.
“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.”
Earlier in the day, US Vice President JD Vance said he intends to travel to Switzerland for talks “soon” and that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, are already in Switzerland for negotiations.
Speaking to Fox News, he said negotiations with Iran “are going well”, but that the US “has all the cards”.
A high-level Iranian team departed for Switzerland on Saturday for talks with the United States, Iranian state media reported, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance indicated he would set off soon for meetings that Pakistan said will begin on Sunday.
The Iranian delegation was being led by chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials, Iranian media said.
“In Switzerland, we intend to press for the fulfilment of the other side’s commitments and clarify how they plan to act on their obligations,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying, emphasising that Iran adhered to its side of the agreement, and the United States is “obligated to compel the Zionist regime (Israel) to cease its attacks on Lebanon”.
“If part of the counterpart’s commitments is not implemented, the entirety of the agreement will be jeopardised,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying. “The counterpart must take the necessary measures as soon as possible; otherwise, the agreement will be jeopardised,” he added.
The 14-point agreement was signed early on Thursday by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signing as mediator. Under the deal, Tehran and Washington have agreed on a framework to end the war, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a 60-day timeline for further talks.
The deal, ending more than 100 days of war, has been widely welcomed by the international community, after the conflict sent shockwaves across the globe as energy prices skyrocketed due to the Hormuz crisis.
Under the deal, the US will lift its blockade of Iranian ports and Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz for international commercial shipping. Washington also committed to immediately waiving oil sanctions crippling Iran’s economy.
And once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the US will also facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund supported by regional nations, the deal says.
Separately, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Saturday as Islamabad stepped up diplomatic efforts to help advance US-Iran negotiations. The interior minister travelled to the Iranian capital after landing in Mashhad earlier today, where he later met FM Araghchi, Iranian media reported.
Iran’s Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei had earlier told Isna news agency that “Pakistan’s interior minister will arrive in Iran at noon today, Saturday, as part of Pakistan’s efforts regarding the Iran-US negotiations.”
Naqvi is also expected to meet his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni for talks during the visit, according to Baqaei.
Islamabad, which has been acting as a key mediator between the US and Iran, achieved a historic diplomatic victory on June 15 when US President Donald Trump announced that Washington has signed an MoU with Iran for peace in the region.