A diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran began unravelling Friday, as Israel’s escalating military campaign in Lebanon forced the postponement of landmark peace talks in Switzerland and left the fate of a newly signed ceasefire memorandum deeply uncertain.
Planned talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran to discuss the technical terms of their ceasefire deal were postponed, with the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirming early Friday that the negotiations, scheduled for the Burgenstock resort near Lucerne, would not go ahead.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a message: “The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed. Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing,” adding no new date for the talks.
The collapse of the Swiss gathering came just two days after US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding laying out terms for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with the interim agreement starting the clock on a 60-day negotiating window to resolve key issues around the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran holds back over Lebanon
Tehran asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon would end, a regional diplomat with knowledge of the situation told NBC News, leading it to delay sending its delegation to Switzerland.
Israel’s military announced it had struck more than 80 Hezbollah targets and killed dozens of its members overnight in response to what it described as ceasefire violations, with Lebanon’s National News Agency reporting that at least 18 people had been killed in the airstrikes. Four Israeli soldiers, including a battalion commander, were also killed in the fighting.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry made clear it would not negotiate under those conditions. Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the continuation of Israel’s offensive would amount to the “annulment” of the memorandum of understanding, warning: “It was not acceptable for us to abandon our brothers in Lebanon. We cannot talk about ending the war while parts of Leba[non remain occupied].”
Baghaei separately confirmed that a halt to the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is an integral part of the agreement to end hostilities on all fronts, adding that Iran will take all necessary measures to protect its interests, security and allies.
Vance stands down
Vice President JD Vance, who had been tapped by Trump to lead the negotiations, had been prepared to make an overnight flight to the mountaintop resort in Burgenstock. His staff and a small group of journalists gathered at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington in anticipation of the trip, while dozens of White House officials and advance staff had already assembled in Switzerland to prepare for Vance’s arrival.
But the trip was abruptly called off Thursday evening. The White House issued a statement explaining that Vance and his delegation were prepared for talks, but were unable to finalise plans and the vice president would remain in Washington. “The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement noted.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also cancelled his own planned trip to Switzerland, his spokesperson confirmed.
Netanyahu holds firm
Israel’s refusal to halt operations in Lebanon has emerged as the central obstacle threatening to unravel the deal. Netanyahu stressed that Israeli troops would not withdraw from southern Lebanon and would maintain the security zone there as long as required, saying: “That requires maintaining the security zone in southern Lebanon; it requires that we not leave there, as long as Israel’s security needs require it.”
“We will remain in these security zones for as long as necessary to defend our country,” Netanyahu told a news conference, adding: “With an agreement or without an agreement — Iran will not have nuclear weapons. Not today, and not tomorrow. As long as I am Prime Minister of Israel, this will not happen.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz reinforced that position, saying: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are leading a clear policy that determines that the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit, to protect the border and Israeli communities.”
An official close to Netanyahu told Reuters that Israel had been “conducting stubborn negotiations” with the US on the issue of maintaining its deployment in Lebanon, and that Israel had no intention of backing down on its positions.
Trump, for his part, posted on social media that the US expected “a complete ceasefire on all fronts,” including between Israel and Hezbollah, urging “everyone in the Middle East region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold.”
A deal under strain
The war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli air attacks on Iran, has killed at least 7,000 people, sent energy prices soaring and shaken global markets. Israel, which was excluded from the peace talks, has distanced itself from the US-Iran accord and maintained its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon — raising persistent questions about whether any final agreement can hold.
The Burgenstock talks were expected to address the technical contours of a permanent settlement, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme. Their postponement signals how fragile the ceasefire framework remains and how much leverage Israel retains over a process it has formally been left out of.
No new date for the Switzerland talks has been announced.
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