Follow-up talks between the United States and Iran after the end of the war, which were reported to be on the brink of collapse due to hard-line remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, are actually continuing, according to reports.
AFP and CNN reported on the 21st, citing diplomatic sources familiar with the status of the talks, that negotiations between the United States and Iran under way in Switzerland are at an impasse but have not ended.
Earlier, Iran's state-run IRNA and Tasnim reported that the Iranian delegation left the negotiating room during follow-up talks at the Bürgenstock resort near Lake Lucerne in Switzerland that day. After a four-way meeting involving mediator countries Pakistan and Qatar recessed after about 80 minutes, the Iranian delegation's exit put the talks in serious jeopardy, the reports said.
The Iranian delegation's pushback came right after President Trump's remarks. In a post on his social media (SNS) Truth Social that morning, Trump warned that if Iran does not rein in the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah, the United States could strike Iran hard again.
However, multiple diplomatic sources said the talks have not been completely halted. A diplomatic source familiar with the talks told AFP, "The Iranian delegation is continuing to engage in the meetings and has never conveyed an intention to withdraw to the mediators." CNN also cited an Iranian source in communication with the Iranian negotiating team on the ground in Switzerland as saying, "Informal discussions are continuing to bring the parties back to the negotiating table."
Barak Ravid of the U.S. outlet Axios likewise said on the social media platform X, "According to a diplomat participating in the talks, the Iranian negotiating team did not leave, and discussions between the United States and Iran are continuing."
After recently signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war, the United States and Iran began follow-up talks that day. Over the next 60 days, the two sides plan to focus on ways to dismantle Iran's nuclear program and on maintaining freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Still, with Trump continuing his remarks on military pressure, the outlook for the talks remains uncertain.