BÜRGENSTOCK, Switzerland: US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday described the opening of Pakistan-mediated peace talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland as a “historic” moment and expressed hope that the negotiations would help reset relations between Washington and Tehran.
Speaking at the Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne, where technical-level talks between the US and Iran got underway, Vance said the talks offered an opportunity to move beyond decades of tensions.
“This is a historic meeting,” Vance said. “The goal is to turn over a new leaf, to transform our relationship with the people of Iran and to extend an outstretched hand.”
براہِ راست: برگن سٹاک میں ہونے والے تکنیکی سطح کے امریکہ-ایران مزاکرات کی افتتاحی تقریب https://t.co/rOdiSCLcly
— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) June 21, 2026
The talks, dubbed the “Lake Lucerne Summit”, are being held as a follow-up to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed recently between Tehran and Washington, with Pakistan and Qatar facilitating the negotiations.
Vance praises Pakistan’s role
Talking to reporters, Vance praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their role in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table.
Referring to Prime Minister Sharif, Vance said he was a “dear friend of the president’s, dear friend of mine” whose “very careful and skilled negotiations got us to this point”.
The US vice president also paid tribute to Field Marshal Munir, saying he had spoken with Field Marshal Munir extensively over recent months.
“I’ve probably talked to Field Marshal Munir more than I’ve talked to anybody else over the last three months,” Vance said.
“He is of course a great military leader, but I think he’s shown himself to be a great diplomat.”
Vance added that Pakistan’s role had been recognised internationally and said he hoped the current momentum could be carried forward in future diplomatic efforts.
Vance says significant progress made in talks
The US Vice President said significant progress had been made in recent hours and expressed optimism that further advances could be achieved during the negotiations.
He said Washington wanted Iran to play a constructive role in regional peace efforts and stressed that stability in the Middle East remained a priority for President Donald Trump’s administration.
Vance also voiced concern over the situation in Lebanon and said Trump was working to reduce tensions there.
Referring to Iran, he said positive discussions were needed on issues that had long contributed to regional instability.
Pakistan, Qatar stress importance of diplomacy
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the talks represented an important opportunity for global peace and credited President Trump with helping create conditions that made the negotiations possible.
“We can work together to establish unity in the world,” PM Sharif said, adding that Field Marshal Munir had played an important role in the diplomatic process.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also praised the efforts of the US and Iranian delegations, as well as Pakistan’s leadership in launching the mediation initiative.
“I think that every one of you has highlighted how important and historic this is, not only for the security of the region but also for the security of the world and for the global economy,” he said.
The Qatari premier said the negotiations marked only the beginning of a longer process and pledged Doha’s continued support for the mediation effort “until we reach a solution”.
