US-Iran negotiations scheduled to take place in Switzerland on Friday have been postponed, one day after the signing of a memorandum of understanding outlining a roadmap toward peace. Israel has said it will not comply with the terms of the document and has continued military operations in Lebanon.
The White House announced that Vice President J.D. Vance would not travel to Europe on Friday for the Qatar- and Pakistan-mediated talks, saying “the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable.” The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed that the meeting had been delayed, adding that preparatory work was ongoing.
A formal signing ceremony for the finalized 14-point document had been expected to take place in Switzerland, but was instead moved forward, with US President Donald Trump signing it during his visit to France for the G7 summit.
Iranian officials have emphasized Tehran’s deep mistrust over US intentions. The memorandum calls for the immediate resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a gradual easing of anti-Iranian sanctions, and a 60-day negotiating period to address remaining disputes, including Iran’s nuclear program.
In a written statement on Thursday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he had authorized the signing of the plan after President Masoud Pezeshkian personally assumed responsibility for its implementation. Khamenei stressed that “the rights of the Iranian nation and the Resistance Front” must be protected.
Trump: "If [the Iran deal] works out, I'm going to take the credit; if it doesn't work out, I'm blaming [Vance]." pic.twitter.com/XSXlOj76SC
Trump, in turn, named Vance as the official responsible for the peace process. “If that works out, I’m gonna take the credit; if it doesn’t work out, I am blaming J.D. You’d better be careful, J.D.,” he joked during a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian.
Ahead of the signing, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said his government would not be bound by “Trump’s agreement” and that the Israel Defense Forces (DIF) would not withdraw from occupied territory in southern Lebanon. The memorandum explicitly calls for a cessation of all hostilities by the signatories and their allies, including in Lebanon.
The Lebanese Health Ministry said on Friday at least 18 people were killed and 33 injured in intense Israeli airstrikes that began after midnight and continued into the early morning. The strikes came amid reported clashes between the IDF and Hezbollah, the Iran-aligned militant movement that is part of Tehran’s ‘Resistance Front’. The death toll in Lebanon since Israel launched its invasion in March is nearing 4,000.
In Kfarjoz, Nabatieh region, a massive Israeli bombing devestated an entire residential neighborhood.A building was destroyed.The video shows civilians around the strike location calling for help after their houses were damaged by the attack. pic.twitter.com/3uXocDQoeb
The memorandum has seemingly strained US-Israeli relations, with Trump and members of his administration publicly accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using excessive force in Lebanon.
”You’re a country of 9 million people,” Vance said, addressing Ben-Gvir and similarly-minded Israeli officials in an interview with the New York Times. “You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.”
Meanwhile, US Central Command announced that the naval blockade of Iranian ports had been lifted, showing progress on the memorandum’s implementation.
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