Vice President JD Vance’s push to start talks with Iran has hit a snag, with his trip to Switzerland being delayed. The talks were set to begin over the weekend, but have been put on hold due to logistical issues.

Background

The US and Iran had agreed to a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding about Iran’s nuclear program. The agreement also aims to get oil traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz back to pre-war levels.

Vance was set to meet with his Iranian counterparts at a mountainside resort in Switzerland, but the trip was called off at the last minute. The White House cited logistical issues as the reason for the delay.

Iran’s Position

Iran believes it is in a strong negotiating position, having effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz and causing global economic reverberations. The Iranian leadership feels it has the upper hand, with the US now trying to negotiate its way back to the pre-war status quo.

The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has endorsed direct negotiations with the US, which is seen as a significant development. However, hard-liners in the Iranian government remain opposed to direct talks with the White House.

US Position

The US has pushed back against comparisons to the 2015 nuclear deal, which was negotiated by the Obama administration. The Trump administration argues that it has negotiated from a position of strength, having conducted a massive military campaign against Iran.

Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has expressed concerns about the agreement, saying it negotiates away the victories from the US air campaign against Iran.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.