US Vice President JD Vance said on Saturday he expects to travel to Switzerland within days for talks with Iran, adding that negotiations could take place as soon as Sunday as diplomatic efforts continue over regional security tensions and a fragile ceasefire environment.
Speaking to Fox News, Vance said senior U.S. officials were already on the ground and that discussions with Tehran were progressing.
Vance said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner were already in Switzerland ahead of the talks, and expressed cautious optimism about the trajectory of negotiations.
“US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were already on the ground for the talks,” he said, adding that discussions with Iran were going well and that Washington intended to give diplomacy a chance.
“I expect that I will leave sometime in the next couple of days, but you know it’s always a delicate coordination dance,” Vance said.
He also said he was confident that a ceasefire arrangement could hold, despite rising regional tensions.
Addressing Iranian statements about the Strait of Hormuz, Vance said, “There was no evidence Iran had taken steps to close the waterway,” following earlier announcements from Iranian military authorities.
Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran had been “defeated militarily, with no Navy or Air Force,” in a post on Truth Social, as he defended his administration’s handling of Middle East tensions and ongoing diplomatic efforts.
“Funny how the Dumocrats like to say that Iran is in a stronger position today than they were three months ago,” Trump wrote.
“That’s why I call them the Dumocrats!!!” he added.
In a series of additional posts, Trump said Iran had “got away with ‘murder’ for 47 years” before his presidency and claimed that U.S. policy had shifted dramatically under his leadership.
“Then it all changed,” Trump wrote, saying Iran had been “completely defeated militarily” in the war.
He also criticised former Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, accusing them of weak leadership and failed deterrence policies.
Trump said Obama had given Iran “billions in cash” and had failed to use U.S. military power effectively against what he described as “the world’s number one sponsor of terror.”
He added that Iranian leaders had “ZERO respect” for both Obama and Biden, whom he called “a weak and ineffective leader.”
“AMERICA IS BACK!!!” Trump wrote.
Meanwhile, the Swiss government said on Saturday it continues to provide a neutral venue for indirect U.S.–Iran discussions, as diplomatic efforts continue amid regional instability.
Switzerland said it was facilitating talks at Bürgenstock in a “discreet, reliable setting” aimed at supporting implementation of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
“Switzerland will continue to provide a ‘discreet and reliable setting’ at Bürgenstock to facilitate discussions on implementing the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran,” the Swiss Foreign Ministry said.
It added that multiple diplomatic delegations were engaged in ongoing discussions but declined to provide further details due to confidentiality.
Officials said representatives from several countries were involved in efforts to maintain dialogue and prevent further escalation, though no breakthrough has been announced.
