ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met a senior US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance in Bürgenstock on Sunday, ahead of peace talks in Switzerland which are being attended by delegations from Iran and Qatar as well.
The peace talks are expected to take place at the Swiss resort today, Sunday, days after both the US and Iran signed a peace agreement brokered by Pakistan. US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed the agreement this week, ending nearly four months of conflict between Washington and Tehran and providing a 60-day window for further diplomacy.
Tensions rose ahead of the peace talks on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and military officials announced that the Strait of Hormuz passageway, central to the peace deal, had been closed in response to Israeli violations of ceasefire commitments in Lebanon. US Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins rejected Tehran’s claim, saying it does not control the key maritime trade route.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and COAS & CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in the High-Level Talks on the implementation of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
Sharif arrived leading a high-level delegation at Bürgenstock. The Pakistani prime minister and Munir were photographed meeting Vance, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump aide Steve Witkoff.
Both sides shook hands, hugged and posed for photographs briefly.
An earlier statement by the foreign office said high-level delegations from Iran, Qatar and the US will be in the Swiss resort for the peace talks.
Iranian state media reported that a senior delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has arrived in Switzerland for the negotiations. The delegation includes Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi, senior security, central bank and energy officials.
The foreign office said Pakistan will continue to support and advance the implementation of the understandings reached between Iran and the US during the peace talks.
It said Sharif is expected to hold bilateral interactions with the participating delegations from Iran, Qatar, Switzerland and the US on the sidelines to reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and durable peace in the region.
“Pakistan’s facilitative role underscores its principled, balanced, and constructive approach throughout the crisis,” the foreign office said.
“Including hosting earlier rounds of US–Iran talks and sustained diplomatic contacts that culminated in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Cairo on Saturday where he held talks with his counterparts from Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia for talks related to the Middle East security.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Pezeshkian, his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni and Araghchi on Saturday in Tehran, Iranian state media reported.
THE LEBANON CHALLENGE
The peace talks take place in Switzerland as the situation in Lebanon remains the most immediate challenge facing negotiators.
Despite efforts to establish a ceasefire, violence continued over the weekend. Lebanese authorities reported at least 16 deaths from Israeli strikes on Saturday, while other reports put the toll at 20.
Israel said it was responding to attacks launched by Hezbollah, which in turn said it would not permit Israel “freedom of movement” in Lebanese territory.
Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a signatory to the US-Iran agreement, complicating efforts to secure a durable regional ceasefire.
Lebanon’s health ministry says more than 4,000 people have been killed since fighting escalated earlier this year, while Israeli authorities report dozens of soldiers and civilians have also died.
The Swiss talks are expected to focus on implementing the ceasefire, preventing further escalation in Lebanon, and negotiating terms for a longer-term agreement on Iran’s nuclear activities.
The interim accord also provides for the easing of some restrictions on Iran’s economy, including allowing Tehran to resume oil exports and regain access to frozen assets.
While both Washington and Tehran have expressed cautious optimism, the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz and continuing violence in Lebanon underscore the challenges negotiators face as they seek to convert the temporary truce into a lasting agreement.
With additional input from AFP, Reuters
