US Envoys Travel to Switzerland to Resume Iran Peace Talks

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have traveled to Switzerland in an effort to resume negotiations with Iran after the previous round of talks was disrupted, CNN reported.

Vitkoff and Kushner in Switzerland

Washington and Tehran are working to restart technical consultations that were suspended due to the recent escalation in the Middle East. The next round of negotiations was originally scheduled to begin on Friday, June 19, but the meeting was canceled following a new outbreak of violence between Israel and Hezbollah.

Witkoff and Kushner previously participated in the negotiations that resulted in the signing of the initial memorandum of understanding between the two countries. The White House stated that US Vice President JD Vance is ready to travel to the negotiations to represent the US as soon as the appropriate conditions are met.

Trump outlines expectations and consequences

The push to resume talks follows comments made by US President Donald Trump during the final press conference of the G7 summit on Wednesday. Trump stated that he expected the accord ending the Middle East war to be signed “shortly,” though he acknowledged uncertainty regarding the exact date.

Trump indicated he would likely delegate the signing of the memorandum to Vance. When asked by reporters if this decision was intended to avoid blame if the agreement failed, Trump replied, “I like that idea. If it works out I am going to take the credit, if it doesn’t work out I’m blaming JD.”

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Kremlin Signals Readiness for Talks on Ukraine

Moscow said it was not responsible for the suspension of communications with Ukraine on agreements and proposals.

The president also issued a direct warning regarding compliance, stating he was prepared to “bomb the hell” out of Iran if the country violated the terms of the agreement. “If they are not behaving they will be hit again,” Trump said, adding that “they don’t want to get bombed.”

During the conference, Trump confirmed that Washington had sent a copy of the accord to Israel. He also addressed the Feb. 28 air strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and commented on a strike on an Iranian school in Minab that resulted in 155 deaths, according to Iranian authorities. Trump stated, “Nobody did it on purpose. Mistakes are made, war is nasty,” and directed further questions on the matter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Ukraine welcomes the prospective accord

The progress toward a US-Iran deal has been closely monitored by Ukraine. On June 16, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the agreement, stating it could provide momentum for renewed US engagement in peace initiatives aimed at ending the war with Russia.

Sybiha emphasized that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is critical for global economic stability and maritime security. “In Ukraine, we also see this as momentum and an opportunity for the United States to reenergize peace efforts aimed at ending Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Sybiha noted.