JD Vance arrives in Switzerland for high-stakes Iran peace negotiations

Vance and his wife, Usha, landed at Emmen Air Base at 5:59 a.m. to lead an American delegation that includes envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The negotiations aim to secure a durable end to a four-month-long conflict, building upon an interim deal signed last Wednesday by Presidents Donald Trump and Masokh Pezeshkian. However, the path to progress is obstructed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which declared the Strait of Hormuz shuttered following Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

While Tehran warns that commercial vessels are at risk, U.S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships successfully transited the strait on Saturday, carrying over 17 million barrels of oil. President Trump has countered Iran’s aggressive posturing by suggesting that the U.S. could levy tolls on the passage if a final peace agreement fails to materialize. Meanwhile, the situation on the ground remains volatile; despite the active truce, Israeli forces and Hezbollah continued to exchange fire throughout the weekend. Iranian officials, led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, have signaled that they will prioritize the full implementation of the ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon, as a prerequisite for further nuclear and economic discussions.