(NewsNation) — Vice President JD Vance appeared at a press conference alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani ahead of talks on a potential nuclear deal with Iran.

Iranian negotiators, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, were not present during the brief remarks.

“What we are trying to accomplish is very important,” Vance said. “Iran has been a driver of regional instability. We see a future of peace and prosperity for everyone.”

Vance also pointed to lower gas prices in the U.S. and described the meeting as historic.

“Never before has Iranian and American leadership met at such a high level,” he said.

Asked about a message for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding operations in Lebanon, Vance said he has seen “great progress” in recent days.

“These things are always a little bit messy,” he said. “There are going to be disagreements about how to get there, but I feel good about where we are in Lebanon. There’s still more work to do, but we’re going to keep working.”

Vance was also asked about allegations of genocide in Lebanon and said the U.S. has “done more to stop the conflict in Lebanon than any government anywhere in the world.”

As the talks continued, President Donald Trump warned Iran against further action by its allies in Lebanon in a post on Truth Social.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump wrote. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

Talks underway in Switzerland

Both Iran and the White House say direct, multilateral talks have begun in Switzerland, with Vance meeting Iranian officials.

Trump is seeking to revive a previously announced agreement that stalled amid Israel’s ongoing military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

Iran has said its primary focus in the negotiations is the situation in Lebanon, while U.S. officials are aiming to secure commitments on Tehran’s nuclear program — a central issue in longstanding tensions between the two countries.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators have 60 days to reach terms under which the regime agrees to curb its nuclear ambitions and keep the Strait of Hormuz permanently open for commercial traffic.

Vance late in the week delayed his trip after fighting escalated in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah militants, prompting Iranian officials to pull out of the talks.

Iran, US offer different stories about Strait of Hormuz

Iran said Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz again while sending a delegation to Switzerland for renewed talks with the United States, raising tensions, but the U.S. disagreed traffic was stopped.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. The military said that 55 merchant ships transited Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.

President Donald Trump, in response, threatened to impose American tolls in the crucial waterway if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.” His social media post underscored that the agreement calls for toll-free travel for 60 days.

Iran-US move to restart negotiations

The White House confirmed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are leading the talks, days after Vice President JD Vance‘s trip to Switzerland was abruptly cancelled Friday.

Iranian state television says the country’s negotiating team is going to Switzerland. The broadcaster cited a foreign ministry spokesperson in its report Saturday.

Key mediator Pakistan says technical-level talks between Iran and the United States on their interim deal will begin on Sunday in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, with Qatari mediators also participating.

Iran and the U.S. agreed on a 60-day window for the U.S. and Iran to hammer out a peace deal. 

In April, Witkoff and Kushner both accompanied Vance to Pakistan to negotiate a ceasefire. Those talks ultimately fell apart, but the dynamics this time around are different.  

These latest talks come after both sides signed a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah remains a threat that could ultimately derail these negotiations even before they begin. The U.S.-Iran agreement started on shaky ground, with Israel’s attacks on Lebanon the reason for the initial negotiations stalling.

Vance leaves for Switzerland with Strait of Hormuz status unclear

Vice President JD Vance, before departing for Iran negotiations in Switzerland, told reporters it was his understanding the U.S. and Islamic Republic would likely have a “couple days of talks.”

“I can only be there for a day or two,” Vance said. “I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we’re to be focused on. I’m sure the Iranians are going to have issues they’d like to discuss as well.”

The VP added, “Things are actually getting better there, and things are slowing down a little bit,” when answering about the fighting in Lebanon.

“It’s going to be something we’re just going to have to continuously manage to ensure that you know Israel and Lebanon are both safe and secure,” Vance noted. “That’s fundamentally the goal of this, to make the whole region safe and secure.”

Trump says no tolls in Strait of Hormuz during ceasefire period or after

Trump said Saturday no tolls will be in place for the Strait of Hormuz during or after the ceasefire has expired.

His statement on Truth Social added the only imposition will be if “they are by and for the U.S., should the deal not be completed for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs.”

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, cites Israeli strikes and US ‘breach’

Iran’s joint military command said Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed again, citing Israeli attacks in Lebanon and U.S. “bad faith” and “its clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war.

The statement on state television also warned that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.”

Ships had begun transiting the strait after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed earlier in the week.

Israel strikes Lebanon after agreeing to ceasefire with Hezbollah

Saturday morning, Israel carried out new strikes in the region despite signing a new ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. Large plumes of smoke were seen over Lebanon overnight, just hours into the ceasefire.

Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including two children. The persistent fighting threatened an interim agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East.

Israel says four of its soldiers were killed and several more were injured after Hezbollah launched rockets and drones towards the Israeli Defense Forces.

Mediators were scrambling to halt the fighting between Israel and the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group, after a heavy exchange on Friday killed at least 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.

An Israeli military official said Hezbollah had fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight, prompting the military to start targeting the militant group there. The official spoke anonymously in line with regulations. The army said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets and militants in southern Lebanon, including rocket-launching positions and Hezbollah command centers.

Israeli warplanes and drones carried out a series of strikes, destroying residences, according to Lebanon’s state news agency NNA.

Over the last 48 hours, casualties have started to mount on both sides.

On Friday, Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said on X that Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire” if Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases hostilities.

On Saturday, Hezbollah said it had committed to the ceasefire but blamed Israel for violating it several times on Friday night. A statement issued by the group’s military wing said it would abide by the ceasefire but would also repel attacks by Israeli troops.

Trump warns Israel

The White House is trying to hold it all together, publicly warning Israel to stop launching attacks. In a wide-ranging interview with Axios, President Donald Trump was asked about the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“It’s good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane,” Trump said of Netanyahu. 

As for whether Trump can control Israel from attacking Lebanon, he said, “I will be. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me.” 

According to The Washington Post, intelligence agencies have warned the White House that Netanyahu may take steps to undermine peace efforts with Iran and continue attempts to root out Hezbollah. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.