Vance says ‘very good foundation’ laid for final Iran deal after Burgenstock talks

US Vice President JD Vance announced on Monday that negotiations with Iran at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland had made significant progress, with the parties establishing a “very good foundation” for reaching a final agreement. “Yesterday was a very, very good day. We made a lot of good progress,” Vance told reporters following talks involving US and Iranian officials, alongside mediators from Qatar and Pakistan. The discussions reportedly continued “well past 1 in the morning,” despite earlier reports that Iran might leave the talks.

Key breakthroughs

Vance said the negotiations achieved several key objectives, including establishing mechanisms to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and a deconfliction mechanism between Israel and Lebanon to prevent tensions from spiraling into broader regional escalation. He also announced that Iran has agreed to invite International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors back into the country—a development he described as “a major milestone for the American people, and the first step in permanently denuclearizing or permanently ending a nuclear weapons program in Iran.” The vice president compared the agreement to building a house: “We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal. The final deal is the house. We set the foundation. We haven't built the house, but we've laid a successful foundation.”

Technical talks ahead

Vance confirmed that US, Iranian, Qatari, and Pakistani negotiators had also agreed on a framework for continued engagement. “They will continue to work at the technical level with the teams here in Burgenstock. Those technical negotiations are going to continue over the weeks and days to come,” he said. The structure established will allow technical discussions to proceed under political oversight as negotiators work toward a comprehensive agreement.