Yet, as the meeting was happening, US President Donald Trump threatened in an online post to strike Iran if it did not “immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble”.
Vance, flanked by US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, was at the luxury Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne for talks with Tehran’s negotiators on the preliminary US-Iran deal to halt the Middle East war.
“This is a historic meeting,” Vance said in the negotiation room, set up for the US team on one side and for the Iranian delegation on the other.
“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together?
“Can we turn over a new leaf? Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently?
“Or do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but it’s certainly very much something that can happen.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were leading the talks for Tehran.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was flanked by Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as the mediators made the summit’s opening remarks.
“I think we will have wonderful discussions which will lead to, hopefully, very productive results in times to come,” said Sharif.
“Hopefully when we go back to our homes we’ll have some wonderful paper in our hand which will promote peace, progress and prosperity around the globe.” (AFP)