Iran announced it did not attend technical talks with the United States on Sunday following military exchanges between the two nations. A U.S. official stated that negotiations aimed at finalizing a deal to end the conflict are still ongoing. The talks were scheduled to occur near Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, and were part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed less than two weeks prior, which aimed to conclude the war within 60 days.
The U.S. official emphasized, "Nothing has been cancelled," and confirmed that technical discussions regarding the MoU implementation are set to continue in the coming days. Both sides reportedly paused military actions on Sunday.
The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to meet in Qatar on Tuesday to address issues regarding the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian official stated that the talks were canceled due to unmet assurances in the agreement, particularly concerning the release of frozen Iranian funds.
The recent military exchanges included U.S. strikes in response to Iranian drone attacks on commercial vessels. U.S. Central Command described these actions as violations of the ceasefire established on June 17. President Donald Trump criticized the Iranian attacks and warned of severe consequences if they continued. Vice President JD Vance, present at the initial negotiations, cautioned Iran against further violence, stating that it would be met with force.