Iran has postponed technical-level talks with the United States scheduled to take place in Switzerland, in protest at "continued" violations of the ceasefire by Israel, particularly in southern Lebanon, according to several Pakistani government sources.
Sources said Iran's chief negotiator Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had prepared to fly to Switzerland to hold direct talks with the US.
However, the travel plans were canceled at the last moment after receiving "instructions" from "Iran's highest leadership."
They did not say whether the order came directly from Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has previously expressed "different views" on the US-Iranian deal to end the war.
Sources said that until now, no new date and location has been set for the negotiations.
"Pakistan is in communication with both parties to set a new date for technical-level negotiations to reach a final agreement," a source familiar with the mediation process told ANTARA from Anadolu, Friday, June 19.
The signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier paved the way for direct negotiations between the two parties in Switzerland on Friday.
The source said US Vice President JD Vance canceled his trip to Switzerland after Pakistan conveyed Iran's decision to the US.
"The logistics of this negotiation have never been simple or easy to predict. For now, the Vice President will not leave tonight," said a White House spokesman.
However, he said his party hopes to start technical negotiations "as soon as possible."
The Swiss Foreign Ministry said negotiations on Friday were canceled.
The Islamabad MoU gives both parties 60 days to formulate a final agreement. The agreement specifically focuses on Iran's nuclear program, in line with Trump's statement that the country should not have nuclear weapons.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Islamabad MoU came into effect immediately after it was signed. He also said Iran and the US would take steps to fully open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Sharif also signed the agreement as a "mediator."
The agreement calls for an immediate and permanent cessation of all military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, accompanied by a commitment not to use force and to guarantee Lebanon's sovereignty.
Shortly after the US and Israel began the war on February 28, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. On April 13, US forces imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, making it almost impossible for merchant ships to sail through the strategic waterway.
Israel also launched an attack on Lebanon that has killed nearly 3,800 people, including civilians and military personnel, since the US-Iranian war began.
More than 3,300 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Iran. Meanwhile, the US confirmed the death of 14 personnel as well as the loss of a number of weapons and military aircraft.
After successfully implementing a ceasefire on April 8, Pakistan hosted the highest level of direct negotiations between the US and Iran on April 12-13. The meeting was the most significant direct contact since the two countries severed diplomatic relations in 1979.
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