US and Iranian negotiators failed to convene in Switzerland amid the fallout from strikes on Lebanon, with talks postponed indefinitely. As US President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran is finished and will not receive so much as 10 cents, the mediating countries — Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia — are set to meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss developments and regional security and stability.
The talks that had been scheduled in Switzerland between the United States and Iran were postponed after the Swiss government announced it was deferring the Friday negotiations — which had aimed to launch a 60-day process to resolve the central issue of Tehran's nuclear programme — to an unspecified date.
The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a communiqué that the planned talks involving the United States, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan had been postponed. Preparatory work is continuing, though no new date has been set for the discussions.
Iran also announced the postponement of a meeting that had been scheduled between Iranian and American officials in Switzerland, indicating that arrangements are under way to hold talks in the coming days.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting was no longer urgent after a memorandum of understanding on ending the war was signed electronically between the two sides, noting that negotiations on a final agreement would depend on the commencement and continued implementation of specific provisions of the memorandum.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry also noted that inspection operations at some nuclear facilities, including the Bushehr facility, are continuing. It clarified that access by the International Atomic Energy Agency to some sites that came under attack would depend on the upcoming negotiations.
Cairo and Islamabad both announced that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — the active mediating countries between the United States and Iran — will hold a meeting in the Egyptian capital on Sunday.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the meeting will bring together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt to discuss regional developments and exchange views on issues relating to peace, security, and stability.
Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that an expanded round of discussions will follow the meeting, succeeded by a press conference.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said yesterday that Iran is finished and will not receive any money, adding that Tehran was desperate when it reached out to the United States.
Trump posted on Truth Social: