US says Vance not yet leaving for Switzerland, as Friday talks with Iran apparently delayed

The White House indicates that the first round of technical talks with Iran under the memorandum of understanding signed this week will not take place on Friday, as Washington had initially said.

“As the vice president said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks with Iran have not been finalized, and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity,” a White House spokesperson says in a statement.

“But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the vice president is not departing tonight. We will let you know as soon as we have a concrete update about next steps. We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible,” the statement adds.

After US officials initially told reporters that they would be meeting Iranian negotiators in Switzerland on Friday, Vance said at a Friday press conference that the meeting wasn’t yet finalized, as it’s difficult for the Iranian officials to get out of Iran. Vance said he thought he would travel to Switzerland at some point this weekend.