PEORIA (25News Now) -As negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continue, Vice President JD Vance met with Iranian officials in a Swiss to discuss Iran’s nuclear program and a possible end to the war.
A director of the Peoria Area World Affairs Council (PAWAC) said there are two things to watch: the differing messages coming from the U.S. and Iran, and how Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah respond.
The hope is that within the 60 days, after an official memorandum of understanding was reached last Wednesday, there will be a final, formal agreement the parties can agree to and sign.
According to PAWAC Director Don Samford, for Iran to maintain the current 60-day ceasefire and continue peace talks, Iran has said that Israel must stop attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“I think [Israel] may want to throw a monkey wrench into things if they see anything that they don’t like,” said Samford.
“I don’t think they’re ready to stop against Hezbollah. And Lebanon is a whole other issue.”
Recent reporting from CNN, the next round of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday.
The talks come as U.S. officials said they have made progress toward a preliminary agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.
“We have made a lot of good progress. We did exactly what we wanted to do,” said Vance on Monday while in Switzerland.
However, Iranian officials have pushed back on Vance’s claims, saying formal negotiations have not yet begun.
Inspections of Iran’s uranium enrichment program would be conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The vice president said allowing inspectors to return is a big victory.
“That is a major milestone for the American people, the first step in permanently de-nuclearizing, or permanently ending, a nuclear weapons program in Iran,” said Vance.
The IAEA is the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog and previously inspected Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The U.S. also announced limited sanctions relief, including allowing some Iranian oil sales to resume and the unfreezing of Iranian assets while negotiations continue. Samford believes keeping open the Strait of Hormuz will be one of the most difficult parts of the negotiations.
“A big thing is the Strait of Hormuz- it’s been a game changer. It was open before, and now, obviously Iran sees this as a major card to play and feels that it can close it at any time it wants. This throws the Gulf states into a whole mess,” said Samford.
“I don’t think it’ll go back to how it was before. Therefore, there will always be a threat that is going on, and that impacts us here in the United States very much,” Samford said.
The next two months are expected to be critical as negotiators work toward a possible agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected to travel this week to the Middle East to continue discussions about a preliminary agreement with Iran.
You can watch 25News – any newscast, anywhere – streaming LIVE on 25NewsNow.com, our 25News mobile app, and on our WEEK 25News SmartTV streaming app. Learn more about how you can get connected to 25News streaming live news here.
Copyright 2026 WEEK. All rights reserved.