Pakistani Premier Heading to Switzerland to Join US-Iran Talks

(Bloomberg) — Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and military chief Asim Munir are heading to Switzerland to take part in US-Iran talks, the government announced Saturday, bringing one of the key mediators between the two adversaries to the table.

Pakistan said earlier that the talks in Burgenstock, aimed at permanently ending a conflict that has thrown the Middle East into disarray, are expected to begin Sunday.

US Vice President JD Vance, who had originally planned to be in Switzerland on Friday, said Saturday that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were already there laying the groundwork for technical talks, and that he hoped to travel there in “the next couple of days.”

The Iranian delegation heading to Switzerland includes Parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, according to the state-run IRIB News.

Iran said Saturday it has closed the Strait of Hormuz for shipping transit due to what it called Israel’s violation of a ceasefire in its fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

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