The United States and Iran are set to meet on Friday, 20 June at the Buergenstock mountain resort in Switzerland for initial negotiations on implementing their recently signed agreement, the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday. The meeting follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran, which Bern has described as an important step toward de-escalation in the region.

Switzerland's Role and What We Know

The Swiss Foreign Ministry welcomed the MoU signing in a formal statement, noting that Buergenstock — the same alpine resort that hosted Ukraine peace talks in 2024 — would serve as the venue. Officials indicated that no further details on the agenda or meeting format would be disclosed at this stage, underscoring the sensitivity of the early-phase diplomacy.

Trump Defends the Agreement

Speaking at a lengthy press conference following the G7 summit in France on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump mounted an aggressive defence of the deal, calling it a historic diplomatic breakthrough made possible by a combination of military pressure and direct engagement.

'On Sunday, we reached an agreement with Iran that achieves everything we set out to accomplish — everything and much more,' Trump said. 'Ending the current conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, that's what it was all about.'

Trump argued that continued military action would have prolonged instability in the Gulf and disrupted global energy markets, framing the deal as a necessary pivot to protect both regional stability and oil supply chains.

The Nuclear Question

In one of his clearest signals yet on the next phase of negotiations, Trump indicated that the United States could accept a civilian nuclear programme in Iran under certain conditions. When asked whether Tehran could continue civilian nuclear activities if it complied with the new agreement, Trump acknowledged the issue's complexity while questioning Iran's stated rationale.

'Well, I've said to them always, I say, look, you have probably the third largest oil reserves in the world, what the hell do you need nuclear for?' Trump said. 'You need nuclear for some electricity.'

The remark signals that Washington may be prepared to negotiate a limited civilian nuclear carve-out — a significant softening compared to the maximum-pressure posture of Trump's first term, and one that is likely to draw scrutiny from regional allies including Israel and Saudi Arabia.

What the Agreement Covers

According to Trump's account, the MoU addresses three core objectives: ending the current armed conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil trade passes — and permanently blocking Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The Friday meeting at Buergenstock is framed as an implementation session rather than a fresh round of negotiations, suggesting the broad contours of the deal are already in place.

What Comes Next

The Friday talks are expected to focus on implementation timelines and verification mechanisms, though neither side has confirmed specifics. The broader diplomatic community will be watching whether the MoU translates into durable compliance, particularly on the nuclear file, where past agreements — including the 2015 JCPOA — ultimately unravelled. The outcome of the Buergenstock session could determine whether this deal holds or follows a similar trajectory.