US-Iran First Round Concludes in Switzerland as Vance Signals Deep Skepticism
The first round of direct peace talks between the United States and Iran concluded in Switzerland on Monday with mediators calling the outcome encouraging, even as Vice President JD Vance signaled deep skepticism about whether Tehran would follow through on its commitments during the 60-day window agreed to last week.
Negotiators from both sides met at Emmen Air Base over 36 hours in the first in-person talks since the two countries agreed to a memorandum of understanding extending a fragile ceasefire. Both delegations left team members in Switzerland to continue technical discussions while leaders returned home.
“All in all, a very productive 36 hours,” Vance told reporters at Emmen Air Base before departing. “We’re going to have to keep working it.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country helped broker the original ceasefire agreement, said in a statement that the talks had produced “encouraging progress” on a “roadmap” toward a final deal. He did not provide details on the specifics of that roadmap.
Vance on Iran: ‘I Trust Actions’
The vice president, who led the American delegation alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said he would judge Iran by its conduct rather than its words. His remarks reflected the broader caution inside the Trump administration about Tehran’s willingness to comply with any eventual agreement.
“Whether good faith or bad faith, you can’t trust anybody’s words. You have to trust what they actually do,” Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two. “My point is that I trust actions. And what the president has asked us to do is very much focused on what Iran actually lets the inspectors see.”
Iran has agreed in principle to allow international nuclear inspectors into the country, a significant concession the administration has described as a minimum condition for any final deal. Vance said the real test would come when inspectors actually arrive and begin their work. It remains unclear how quickly that process could begin or what access they would be granted.
Hormuz Tensions Test the Ceasefire
The talks were complicated from the outset by rising tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Iran announced it was halting maritime traffic through the strait shortly before the talks began, arguing that Israel’s continued strikes inside Lebanon violated the ceasefire framework. President Trump responded with a direct warning to Tehran, suggesting the United States could escalate sharply if Iran did not allow commercial shipping to pass.
Setting up a mechanism to keep the strait open was described by Vance as a “fundamental” point in the discussions. Whether any agreement on Hormuz was actually reached during the first round remains unclear. Iran’s announcement that it had suspended traffic through the waterway was not formally reversed before the talks ended, and neither side provided specific details on what had been agreed.
Continued fighting in Lebanon cast a shadow over the negotiations. Israel has carried out strikes that Tehran says violate the ceasefire understanding, and Iran-linked forces in Lebanon have tested the boundaries of the agreement with periodic incidents along the border. The United States has demanded that Iran use its influence over Hezbollah to prevent further escalation.
Trump Warns of Economic Pressure
While in Switzerland, Vance said the United States was discussing with Qatar a mechanism to ensure that frozen Iranian assets, currently held under American sanctions, would be used to purchase food from American farmers once a final deal is in place. Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday afternoon that he expected those food purchases would represent a significant sum.
“Corn, soybeans, all of the things that they need are going to be bought from our farmers,” Trump said during an Oval Office event. The president also suggested that gas prices had fallen since the interim agreement took effect and that the United States would not slide into an economic downturn. He warned, however, that if Iran failed to behave, the United States would respond with further pressure.
Trump also used the moment to renew his criticism of NATO allies, saying that Britain, Germany and Italy had been “very bad” in refusing to join the American military campaign against Iran. The comments came as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation and as the president prepared for a July NATO summit in Ankara.
What Comes Next
Both sides have agreed to return to Switzerland before the 60-day deadline expires. Technical teams will remain in place to work through the details of a final agreement, covering nuclear inspections, sanctions relief, Hormuz access and the situation in Lebanon. The outcome of the next round of talks will determine whether the ceasefire holds or whether the United States resumes its maximum-pressure campaign against Tehran.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Trump by phone on Monday and offered the full backing of European allies in supporting the diplomatic track. A French government statement said the two leaders agreed that a comprehensive and verifiable deal was “within reach” if both sides showed flexibility in the coming weeks. European diplomats have been clear, however, that any agreement that does not include binding inspections would face significant skepticism in Paris, London and Berlin.
The next senior-level meeting is expected to take place within two weeks, according to a person familiar with the planning who spoke on condition of anonymity because the schedule has not been made public. Whether Iran’s new foreign minister will personally attend remains an open question. Analysts will be watching closely for signals from both capitals in the days ahead.