PM, CDF Munir attend US-Iran technical talks in Switzerland amid Hormuz blockade

• PMO confirms PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir will attend crucial diplomatic round, which follows Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding

• Islamabad says technical-level negotiations set for Bürgenstock on Sunday will include Pakistani, Qatari officials

• PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir likely to join high-level engagement in crucial diplomatic round

• Iranian delegation departs as Strait of Hormuz blockade deepens pressure ahead of negotiations

• Negotiations come as Iran blames US for failing to stop Israel’s strikes in Lebanon

• Israel strikes in Lebanon escalate regional diplomatic urgency

• R-4 foreign ministers meet in Cairo to review regional security

ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN: The United States and Iran are set to hold technical-level talks in Switzerland on Sunday (tomorrow), with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir will to attend the crucial diplomatic round, according to officials, as Tehran reimposed a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz over continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon—raising fresh questions over the durability of a newly signed accord ahead of the next phase of negotiations.

On the other hand, an Iranian negotiating team has left for Switzerland for discussions on the implementation of its agreement with the United States aimed at halting the Middle East war, Iranian state media reported.

According to the official news agency IRNA, the delegation’s departure was confirmed by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, who said the team would “follow up and demand implementation of the other party’s commitments” under the deal.

Iranian state broadcaster said the delegation includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and other senior officials.

In a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Saturday, it was confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in the technical-level talks being held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026 (Sunday).

As a follow-up to the signing of Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June 2026.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and COAS & CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will participate in these talks.

The… pic.twitter.com/GTkR9hDFnz

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) June 20, 2026

The PMO said the talks are being held as a follow-up to the signing of the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”

It added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces will attend the discussions, while the Prime Minister, along with a high-level delegation, has already departed from Islamabad for Switzerland.

 Iran’s diplomatic delegation heads to Switzerland to press US on MoU commitments: Spokespersonhttps://t.co/ffP4ewuNpL pic.twitter.com/O9k2Aol7jt

— IRNA News Agency ☫ (@IrnaEnglish) June 20, 2026

Iranian state broadcaster said the delegation includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other senior officials.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, as Iran’s joint military command warned of further measures if Israel continued its strikes in Lebanon.

#BREAKING: Pakistani flag spotted on the venue of US Iran peacetalks in Bürgebstock, Switzerland. pic.twitter.com/sa23jfLGqp

— Ironclad (@NavCom24) June 20, 2026

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, on Saturday despite reports of a ceasefire agreement—one of the key provisions of the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” electronically signed by the United States and Iran on June 18. The upcoming talks in Switzerland will mark the first formal negotiations under the framework agreement after months of sustained conflict between Washington and Tehran.

“As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, on June 21, 2026,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

It added that representatives of the United States and Iran, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions.

The initial US-Iran peace pact calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a ceasefire in Lebanon, easing restrictions on Iranian oil exports, and the launch of a 60-day process toward a broader settlement over Iran’s nuclear program and other outstanding disputes.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is going to Switzerland later tonight,” a senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office told Arab News on condition of anonymity, adding that he is expected to arrive tomorrow morning.

Earlier, speculation had grown that the Prime Minister could join the diplomatic process after US Vice President JD Vance said he expected to travel to Switzerland in the coming days for talks with Iran.

Vance said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland handling “some of the technical elements” of the talks and had reported that “things are going well.”

Another source familiar with the diplomatic process said Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is also likely to join the negotiations.

Pakistan has been engaged at multiple levels to keep US-Iran talks on track and aligned with the agreed timeline.

 

Iran’s state-run IRNA reported that Pakistan’s Interior Minister arrived in Tehran via Mashhad and met Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the Foreign Ministry.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iran’s FM @araghchi in Tehran. Both sides discussed bilateral relations and regional cooperation and emphasized the importance of continued diplomatic consultations to strengthen mutual ties. pic.twitter.com/s4vzrQ1Fwc

— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) June 20, 2026

Pakistan’s newly appointed Ambassador to Iran, Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, also attended the meeting.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry separately said Mohsin Naqvi held talks with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, during which both sides discussed the regional situation.

“Both interior ministers termed the US-Iran agreement a positive step toward sustainable peace in the region,” the ministry said.

Despite the diplomatic momentum, Iranian state television reported that Tehran’s delegation was travelling to Switzerland for the next round of talks, while also accusing Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon of reflecting US “bad faith” and Washington’s failure to uphold its commitments under the agreement.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Islamabad will continue facilitating the next round of talks “in its role as mediator, with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”

🔊PR No.1️⃣4️⃣8️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣

Technical-Level Talks Under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding

🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9FbJ4WB1Bp

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 20, 2026

It added that Pakistan has played a central mediating role in the crisis, hosting rare US-Iran talks in April and facilitating diplomatic contacts that culminated in the signing of the agreement earlier this week.

 

R-4 Meeting in Cairo to Review Regional Security

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has arrived in Cairo to attend the Regional Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for Sunday, which will deliberate on regional security and diplomatic developments amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MishaqDar50 arrived in Cairo, Egypt, to attend the Regional Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 21 June, and he will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines.

Upon arrival, he was received by… pic.twitter.com/lvBqzMxe1y

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) June 20, 2026

Upon arrival, he was received by Nazih El Naggary, Assistant Foreign Minister for Policy Planning, Research, Crisis Management and Assessments, and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Egypt, Aamir Shouket, according to the Foreign Office.

The DPM/FM is scheduled to attend the 4th Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the R-4 Group, where Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye will review regional security and diplomatic developments amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, the FO said.

In a post on X, the FO said the Cairo meeting marks the fourth session of the R-4 framework, a diplomatic platform launched in March this year by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan amid rising regional instability, including the US-Iran conflict and broader geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.