Israeli strikes have killed at least 32 people in Lebanon, threatening to derail talks between the United States and Iran aimed at cementing a fragile peace deal.<\/p>\n
US \u2060Vice \u2060President JD Vance said on Saturday that he expects to travel \u200cto Switzerland for talks with Iran soon. \u201cI expect that I will \u2060leave sometime in \u2060the next couple of days, but \u2060you know it\u2019s \u2060always \u2060a delicate coordination dance and the diplomatic \u200cprotocols,\u201d Vance told Fox News in an interview.<\/p>\n
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This followed reports by US media outlets Axios and CNN on Friday, saying that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump\u2019s son-in-law, were also on their way to Switzerland after the negotiations were postponed earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s continued attacks in Lebanon have led to uncertainty about whether the Iranians would attend. But Iran\u2019s state television reported on Saturday, citing a foreign ministry spokesperson, that the country\u2019s negotiating team would travel to Switzerland.<\/p>\n
High-level talks could take place as early as Sunday, Vance told Fox News. He also said he was confident Washington could sustain the current ceasefire despite any potential differences in strategic implementation.<\/p>\n
However, also on Saturday, Iran said it has closed the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane over Israel\u2019s attacks in Lebanon, calling them a violation of its deal with the US to end the Middle East war.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic; It is noted that this first step is a response to the enemy\u2019s breach of promise, and if the aggression continues, further steps will be planned and taken to force the enemy to comply with its obligations,\u201d the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement carried by Iranian state TV.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Axios reported that Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to travel to Switzerland on Saturday, but other sources said his trip may be delayed. A source from one of the mediating countries said Araghchi told several counterparts that Iran views a ceasefire in Lebanon as essential to the diplomatic process and that it could \u201cmake or break\u201d the US-Iran talks.\u00a0Separately, Araghchi is meeting Pakistan\u2019s visiting Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Saturday that it continues to provide a \u201cdiscreet and reliable \u2060setting\u201d at Buergenstoc to facilitate discussions on implementing the MoU. It added in \u2060a statement that no further \u2060details would be disclosed \u2060about \u2060participants and the content of the \u200ctalks, citing confidentiality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got one big conflict, two wars \u2026 the US is focusing on one war, but the ceasefire in the other war is the key to bringing the parties together,\u201d said James Bays, Al Jazeera\u2019s diplomatic editor, reporting from Buergenstoc.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the agreement signed by the US and Iran \u2026 it says there has to be a ceasefire [in Lebanon], and there is clearly not a ceasefire in place.\u201d<\/p>\n
32 killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon<\/p>\n