BBC News, Arabic Go to content Main Watch Listen Major Sections News Economy Health and Science Culture and Arts World Cup 2026 Investigations News Economy Health and Science Culture and Arts World Cup 2026 Investigations The Iranian delegation arrives in Switzerland to begin nuclear negotiations with the United States, and the U.S. military denies the closure of Hormuz. According to Reuters, the Iranian negotiation delegation arrived in Switzerland late Saturday evening to conduct negotiations with the United States at the Bürgenstock resort regarding reaching an agreement, especially regarding Iran's nuclear program and the associated sanctions.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry stated on X Platform, "We welcome the Iranian delegation's arrival in Switzerland," adding that the talks come within the framework of implementing the memorandum of understanding signed between the Islamic Republic and the United States.
The official Iranian news agency "IRNA" also reported that the Tehran delegation arrived in Switzerland to begin the talks.
In this context, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and General Asim Munir departed to Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland to participate in the talks regarding the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
The ministry confirmed in a statement that Pakistan will continue to support the implementation of the agreements reached between Tehran and Washington, within the efforts aimed at promoting regional stability and advancing the de-escalation process.
It added that the Pakistani Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the participating delegations on the sidelines of the talks to discuss developments of mutual interest and follow up on the diplomatic efforts related to implementing the agreement.
U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance departed Washington on Saturday, heading to Switzerland, where negotiations with Iran are scheduled to begin on Sunday.
Vance told reporters before leaving Andrews Joint Base, "I can only stay there for a day or two. I think we will make progress on the nuclear issue and make progress on the ceasefire issue in Lebanon. These are the two main issues that I think we will focus on."
In the meantime, Pakistan announced on Saturday that technical talks between the United States and Iran to implement the memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in the Middle East will be held on Sunday in Switzerland.
The Foreign Ministry stated in a statement: "Following the signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, technical talks will be held at the Bürgenstock in Switzerland on June 21," adding that Pakistani and Qatari mediators will participate in discussions with U.S. and Iranian delegations.
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On Saturday, the U.S. military denied Iran's "claims" of closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the vital shipping lane remains open, and that U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure that continues.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz," according to reports from Reuters.
Earlier on Saturday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the closure of the strait, warning vessels against approaching the shipping lane.
The statement by the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters - the Iranian forces' central operations room - stated that "in light of the United States' flagrant breach of its commitments and its violation of the agreement by failing to implement the first clause of the ceasefire memorandum, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist entity in southern Lebanon ... we declare that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to maritime traffic."
These developments cast doubt on the future of the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, which paves the way for more in-depth peace talks.
In the meantime, the U.S. President - in a post on his Truth Social platform - stated that "there will be no tolls for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the temporary ceasefire over 60 days and after that - unless the United States imposes these tolls and undertakes to collect them for its benefit in the event that peace talks fail."
Relying on the monitoring mechanism for shipping activity in the strait is problematic, as some ships may suddenly appear and disappear depending on the closure of the electronic systems.