"Diplomatic Achievement Stolen by France": Switzerland Disappointed as U.S.-Iran Talks Fall Through

Following the collapse of the follow-up negotiations for the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) that were scheduled to be held in Switzerland on June 19 (local time), the country is facing both disappointment and criticism toward the government for failing to play a proper mediating role during the war.

As a neutral nation, Switzerland played a significant role in the past by providing a negotiation table for the 2013 Joint Plan of Action (JPOA) and the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which were the Iran nuclear deals.

However, in the current Iran war, Switzerland has been effectively sidelined as Pakistan has emerged as the primary mediator.

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs stated that the first working-level meeting between the U.S. and Iran, which had been prepared at the Bürgenstock Resort on Lake Lucerne, was "postponed," adding that it "remains ready to facilitate dialogue."

Local media, however, unanimously reported that the talks had been canceled, analyzing that Switzerland lost the diplomatic achievement to France, a country that is not even neutral.

The reports suggest that the signing ceremony and high-level follow-up negotiations scheduled in Switzerland were scrapped after U.S. President Donald Trump, who was visiting France for the G7 summit, made a surprise signing of the MOU while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles on the evening of June 17.

The Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) pointed out on this day, "Even if it were merely a symbolic event, that scene should have taken place in Switzerland," adding, "Trump has embarrassed Switzerland once again."

The newspaper also reported, "Macron celebrated the conclusion of the G7 summit, which was orchestrated according to his own vision, with a climactic moment alongside Trump," noting that "France, not Switzerland, reaped the rewards."

Since the U.S. and Iran severed diplomatic ties following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Tehran, Switzerland has acted as a diplomatic channel between the two nations, protecting U.S. citizens on the ground on behalf of the U.S. government.

Just two days before the war, talks between the two sides were held in Geneva.

The liberal right-wing faction, which considers Switzerland's status as a neutral and mediating nation a national asset, had previously criticized the government for a diplomatic blunder when it closed its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff in March, early in the war.

Switzerland's status as a neutral country, located in the heart of the European continent but not a member of the European Union (EU) or NATO, has been put to the test not only by Middle Eastern conflicts but also by the war in Ukraine.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, the Swiss government has adopted most of the 20 rounds of EU sanctions against Russia.

The Swiss right-wing argues that joining EU sanctions, which are not even mandated by the UN Security Council, violates the principle of neutrality. A motion to ban independent sanctions has been proposed, and a national referendum will be held this coming September.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.