Vance Says Swiss Talks With Iran Laid a "Good Foundation" for a Permanent Peace Deal

Vice President J.D. Vance said Monday that initial negotiations with Iran in Switzerland established a "good foundation for a successful final deal" to end the war that began at the end of February. The talks, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, produced tentative agreements on several security and verification issues, though key details remain unresolved and some Iranian concessions have not been publicly confirmed.

Progress and Principal Elements

Vance said U.S. and Iranian negotiators made progress on four main points: keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, coordinating a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, arranging International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, and setting up a framework for remaining technical negotiations.

Vice President JD Vance speaks to members of the media after the U.S. and Iran held high-level talks at the Bürgenstock Resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, in Switzerland, Monday, June 22, 2026. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)(Nathan Howard/Pool REUTERS via AP)

• Vance said Iran agreed to invite IAEA inspectors back into the country; Iranian officials have not publicly acknowledged this, and Tehran continues to restrict access to enrichment sites struck in previous strikes where highly enriched uranium is believed to be located.
• Negotiators also agreed in principle to create a de-confliction cell to address fighting in Lebanon and to put mechanisms in place to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open for international shipping.
• Technical teams from both sides will continue talks under political oversight from Washington, with a structure established to guide and supervise the technical work.

Diplomacy, Mediation and Oversight

Vance said the negotiating teams stayed in close contact with regional leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that some Israeli hardliners have protested being sidelined. He credited Jared Kushner and Qatari officials with helping shape parts of the plan; Qatar was described as having an approval role in the process. Vance also said that funds freed by lifted sanctions could be used to buy American agricultural goods for the benefit of the Iranian people — a proposal Iran has not confirmed and for which there is no current known demand.

Tensions and Public Rhetoric

The talks were punctuated by sharp public comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, which offended Iranian negotiators, and by a separate diplomatic spat between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Vance defended the U.S. responses to Iranian insults, saying the Iranian delegation threatened to walk out but ultimately remained and continued technical negotiations.

President Donald Trump sits in his limousine, known as The Beast, after arriving on Marine One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, June 21, 2026, following a trip to Camp David. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

"The final deal is the house," Vance said. "We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people."

What Comes Next

Senior negotiators concluded the initial Swiss round and expect technical teams to press on in the coming days. Mediators called the results "encouraging progress," but multiple important questions — including the exact scope of IAEA access, verification arrangements, and the details of economic measures tied to sanctions relief — remain unresolved.

Related Political Notes

Separately, Trump said federal authorities made arrests of people he accused of vandalizing the newly rehabilitated Reflecting Pool in Washington and criticized Prime Minister Meloni for allegedly seeking a photo at the G7 summit — claims that prompted public rebuttals and diplomatic friction.