Pakistan Foreign Ministry Says US-Iran Technical Talks Begin Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland

Technical-level talks between the United States and Iran are set to begin on Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland, under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Pakistan said it would continue facilitating the process to support progress toward the implementation of the agreement, while US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that high-level talks with Iran could take place as early as Sunday.

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The Express Tribune said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Switzerland on Saturday night to attend the technical-level talks scheduled for tomorrow in Burgenstock under the Islamabad MoU, with Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir also participating.

Iran confirmed that a delegation would travel to Switzerland to follow up on the implementation of commitments made under the agreement, and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the delegation would seek clarification on how the other side intends to fulfill its obligations.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said Switzerland was providing a “discreet and reliable setting” in Burgenstock for talks on the implementation of the MoU, while diplomats from various countries continued efforts to maintain the dialogue.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, “In Switzerland, we are set to press for the implementation of the other side’s commitments,” as the Iranian delegation prepared to follow up on the Islamabad MoU.

Baghaei added that “If part of the other side’s commitments is not implemented, the entire understanding will face difficulties,” and warned Washington that it must take necessary measures “as soon as possible or risk jeopardizing the agreement.”

Akhbar 24

The Express Tribune reported that US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already on the ground addressing “technical elements” of the negotiations, and that Vance said he was “very confident” Washington could sustain the current ceasefire despite potential differences in strategic implementation.

WANA News Agency said Baghaei emphasized the trip does not signify the launch of the second phase of negotiations for a final agreement and that the primary objective is to demand the other party fulfill its obligations.

WANA also said the high-level Iranian delegation includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Deputy for International Affairs of the Supreme National Security Council Secretariat Ali Bagheri Kani, Governor of the Central Bank Abdolnaser Hemmati, and Deputy Oil Minister and CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Hamid Bourd.

The talks are framed as a follow-up to the Islamabad MoU, with the Express Tribune stating technical-level talks will be held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June 2026, and that representatives of the United States and Iran will participate alongside mediators from Pakistan and Qatar.

Arab News said the negotiations come as Tehran reimposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz over continuing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, testing the durability of the newly signed accord ahead of the next phase of negotiations.

Arab News reported that Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, on Saturday despite reports of a ceasefire agreement, one of the key provisions of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding electronically signed by the US and Iran on June 18.

The Express Tribune added that Vance said the US is focused on preventing Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program while maintaining leverage through economic and strategic pressure, and that the next steps were “very much up to the Iranians.”

In parallel, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported that Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and discussed the regional situation, while Pakistan’s foreign office said Islamabad will continue to facilitate the next round of talks “in its role as mediator” to advance understandings reached under the MoU.