President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is visiting Switzerland to participate in the first round of peace talks with Iran, in accordance with the terms of the agreement reached with the country.
US Vice President JD Vance was originally scheduled to travel to Switzerland for these peace talks, but his trip was postponed at the last minute.
Meanwhile, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon yesterday, Friday. Israel’s intense military operations in Lebanon had put the US-Iran agreement at risk of collapse, as a key condition set by Tehran for the deal was the cessation of hostilities on all fronts across the Middle East, including Lebanon.
News of US envoy Witkoff’s visit to Switzerland for peace talks emerged following the announcement of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. This development has removed a primary obstacle to the path of negotiations aimed at achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.
Citing a US official familiar with the matter, the American news outlet Axios reported yesterday that Witkoff is visiting Switzerland for the first round of discussions with Iran regarding a potential nuclear deal.
Vance had postponed his trip to Switzerland just a day earlier. Analysts believe the US Vice President opted out of the talks with Iran—and consequently did not travel to Switzerland—because Israel’s offensive in Lebanon was ongoing.
Amidst this situation, US President Donald Trump told NBC News that he had spoken with Israel and urged them to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
A journalist from the outlet posted on X (formerly Twitter), “President Trump told Israel that sometimes one needs to calm down and use one’s head.” However, the journalist did not disclose whether Trump had spoken directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A senior US government official stated that the ceasefire took effect around 4:00 PM local time in Lebanon yesterday, following a day of heavy shelling. He stated that negotiators from the United States and Qatar, with Iran’s assistance, have reached this agreement regarding a ceasefire.
Two sources within the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and a senior Israeli official confirmed the ceasefire to Reuters.
US President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding last Wednesday. Following this, representatives from both countries were scheduled to begin discussions yesterday at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland to work towards a final peace treaty.
Israel had intensified its brutality in Lebanon, disregarding the Iran-US memorandum of understanding; at least 47 people were killed in the country in a single day. Israel continued its attacks on Lebanon even after the ceasefire with Hezbollah was announced.
However, analysts had previously expressed concerns that Israel would attempt to derail the agreement between Tehran and Washington. Hardline Zionist leaders in Israel want the attacks on Lebanon to continue.
