U.S.-Iran accord hits early snag after Swiss talks fail to proceed as planned

A newspaper featuring the headline story on indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States in Muscat, Oman, is displayed at a newsstand in Tehran, Iran, on April 12, 2025. Fatemeh Bahrami | Anadolu | Getty Images News that the U.S. and Iran had reached an interim deal may have brought some initial relief to markets, but fresh uncertainty emerged on Friday after planned follow-up talks in Switzerland were called off, underscoring the challenges of turning the agreement into a lasting peace settlement. Switzerland's foreign ministry reportedly said U.S.-Iran talks scheduled to take place at Bürgenstock on Friday would not proceed as planned. The White House also said that Vice President JD Vance was no longer traveling to Switzerland, citing unresolved logistical issues surrounding the negotiations. "The plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the U.S. delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity," a White House spokesperson said. "But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable." The developments came a day after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at developing a permanent peace deal to end the months-long conflict. Challenges ahead Analysts cautioned that the agreement represented only an initial step toward a broader settlement. …