US, Iranian delegations arrive in Switzerland for technical talks

US and Iranian delegations arrived in Switzerland as of Sunday for technical negotiations under the memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday to end the months-long Middle East conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The talks in Burgenstock will be led by US Vice President JD Vance, and on the Iranian side, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, under Pakistani mediation.

Before departing on Saturday, Vance said US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already on the ground to address the “technical elements” of the negotiations.

Vance, who landed at Emmen Air Base north of Burgenstock, had also said he was "very confident" that Washington and Tehran could preserve the ceasefire established under the agreement, known as the Islamabad Memorandum.

Iran's delegation had arrived hours earlier in Zurich, according to Iranian state media.

After arriving, Ghalibaf posted through US social media company X: “God forbid that I should ever bring shame to the innocent martyrs and the people of Iran, and that I should join my companions with a clear conscience—companions for whose reunion I eagerly await.”

"I consider the innocent children of Minab and all the martyrs of dear Iran to be watching over my every action and behavior at every moment. They see us and expect things of us," he added, in reference to those killed during the conflict, including more than 160 at a girls' primary school struck in the southern Iranian city of Minab on Feb. 28.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, aimed at paving the way for ending the war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran on Feb. 28.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, are expected to mediate the talks.

An emergency session on the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah has reportedly been added to the opening day's agenda. Citing a diplomat attending the talks, US broadcaster CBS News reported that the issue is expected to be the first item discussed by the US and Iranian delegations.

According to official figures, Israel's military offensive in Lebanon since March 2 has killed more than 4,000 people, injured 11,873 others, and displaced more than 1 million residents.

Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some for decades and others since the latest conflict. During its recent military campaign, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) into Lebanese territory.

Neither Israel, Hezbollah, nor the Lebanese government is participating in the Switzerland talks.