Switzerland

• An emergency session focused on the situation in Lebanon has been added to the ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Iran and the United States in Switzerland. • The addition of this session comes amid escalating tensions and instability within Lebanon, necessitating urgent high-level discussions. • This development highlights the critical role of Iran-US relations in managing regional conflicts and the potential for diplomatic intervention to prevent further escalation.

• On Saturday, June 20, 2026, tensions escalated as Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz amidst an ongoing war involving the U.S. and Israel. • Concurrent with the maritime blockade, Israel continued its military offensive and attacks targeting Lebanon. • In a diplomatic effort to address the crisis, JD Vance is reportedly traveling to Switzerland for high-level discussions.

JD Vance says talks aim to ‘make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue’Middle East crisis – live updatesTalks between Iran and the US aimed at building out the fragile interim deal to end the war are due to get under way in Switzerland, beset by difficulties including an Iranian decision to keep the strait of Hormuz closed in protest at Donald Trump’s inability to force Israel to end the fighting in Lebanon.The US vice-president, JD Vance, leading the US delegation, said he was adding Lebanon to the agenda, which had originally been conceived to focus on the opening of the strait, the lifting of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held overseas. Continue reading...

Iran says decision comes after waves of Israeli strikes in Lebanon, as delegations arrive as Swiss resort for talksIran says it is closing strait of Hormuz over Israeli strikes in LebanonIran said on Sunday that the ongoing conflict in Lebanon between Israel and militant group Hezbollah will top the agenda in talks with the US in Switzerland, as well as issues such as frozen Iranian funds and the sale of the country’s oil.“The Zionist regime continues to violate its commitment in Lebanon, this issue will be the main topic of discussion in today’s talks,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a video shared by IRNA state news agency. Continue reading...

• Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, 2026, escalating regional tensions by blocking a critical global shipping lane. • Simultaneously, Tehran announced that a negotiating team is traveling to Switzerland to engage in diplomatic talks with the United States. • This dual action of military escalation and diplomatic outreach creates significant volatility for global energy markets and international security.

IDF claims continuing strikes come after Iran-backed group repeatedly violated ceasefire; JD Vance cancels trip as US-Iran talks set for Friday cancelledUS-Iran talks in Switzerland abruptly called offJD Vance tells Iran deal critics in Israel: Trump is your only ally left in the worldWelcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East.Israel’s military says it is attacking Hezbollah in several areas across southern Lebanon and has been striking throughout Thursday night.Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid ⁠the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time”, Vance told reporters.Trump said the ​US expected “a ⁠complete ceasefire on all fronts, including ⁠Lebanon, Hezbollah ​and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We ‌encourage everyone ‌in the ‌Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations ‌to beautifully unfold.”Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.”In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”.Iran announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the vital waterway would not be welcome, reports Patrick Wintour.Vance said the 60-day period in which to reach a final agreement with Iran started on Thursday. That would set a deadline for the final agreement between Iran and the US as 17 August.US Central Command ended its blockade in the Hormuz strait, it announced on social media. The US naval blockade of the strait had been in effect since 13 April, with control of the waterway being a key point of conflict in the war. Marine Traffic data showed that at least seven ships had crossed the strait on Thursday.The US would restart military action and ⁠reimpose a ⁠blockade ​against Iran if it did not fulfil its commitments ⁠under the signed agreement, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels.Khamenei said in his message that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added.Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement’s signing ceremony in Switzerland, which was due to take place on Friday, was cancelled as it is understood that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has already been signed remotely.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was representing the bloc’s position on the Middle East, after Israel announced it was severing diplomatic relations over allegations she had compared the country to apartheid South Africa. Continue reading...

JD Vance’s staff were at the airbase ready to fly to summit in Bürgenstock for Iran talks before trip was suddenly cancelledTalks set to take place on Friday between the ⁠United States ⁠and ​Iran on implementing the 14-point agreement to end their war have been cancelled, Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced.The talks were set to begin in the tiny Swiss village of Obbürgen on Friday, two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding about Iran’s nuclear program while getting oil traffic moving through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

• The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) is facing scrutiny over its mandate to oversee and publish political financing and campaign spending transparency. • A study commissioned by the SFAO itself has called into question the effectiveness and validity of the current oversight process. • This development is critical because Swiss voters participate in frequent polls, making the transparency of party income essential for democratic integrity.

FC Basel and Polish stadium stop US rapper’s upcoming shows, after similar cancellations in France and UK over antisemitic commentsKanye West’s upcoming concerts in Poland and Switzerland have been cancelled, as a growing number of European countries have stopped or postponed the US rapper’s performances amid a furore over his past antisemitic comments.Swiss football club FC Basel, which is responsible for concerts and events that take place at its St Jakob-Park ground, told Reuters on Saturday that after reviewing a request for West to perform there in June, it decided against it. Continue reading...