U.S., Iran to hold technical talks on Sunday in Switzerland: Pakistani foreign ministry

Technical-level talks between the United States and Iran under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday, Pakistan's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Representatives from both countries, along with mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, will participate in the discussions, according to a statement issued by the ministry.

Pakistan will continue to facilitate the process in its role as mediator, with a view to advancing the understandings reached under the Islamabad MoU, it said.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in a media interview on Saturday that talks with Iran could begin as early as Sunday, and negotiations are going smoothly.

The vice president said that he may travel to Switzerland in the coming days.

Vance also said there is no evidence that Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian sources said on Saturday that Iran's negotiating team is heading to Switzerland to discuss the MoU with U.S. negotiators.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Saturday that the negotiating team includes Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri Kani, as well as the governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) and the deputy minister of oil.

Baghaei said that the first article of the MoU, namely "ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon," is the core pillar of the mutual commitments made by both sides.

While Iran is fulfilling its own commitments, he said, the U.S. side, which should have forced Israel to cease its military operations in Lebanon, has failed to fulfill this responsibility, constituting a clear violation of the agreement.

Baghaei said that although some measures have been taken regarding lifting the maritime blockade and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the MoU is essentially a "comprehensive agreement."

A violation of the first article puts the entire agreement in doubt, and if the U.S. does not take necessary measures immediately, the entire MoU will face serious problems, he said.

Baghaei stressed that the sustainability of this agreement depends on the behavior of the U.S., noting that the logic of Iranian foreign policy is very clear -- commitment for commitment and action for action,

He warned that if the U.S. refuses to fulfill its commitments or undermines their implementation, Iran will take reciprocal, severe, and deterrent countermeasures with its strategic capabilities.

The Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Switzerland will continue to provide a "discreet and reliable setting" to facilitate the U.S.-Iran talks at Burgenstock, adding that "diplomats from various countries currently present are continuing their efforts to maintain the dialogue."

U.S., Iran to hold technical talks on Sunday in Switzerland: Pakistani foreign ministry

More than 10,000 people gathered outside Japan's National Diet in Tokyo on Friday to protest the government's moves toward expanding military capabilities and revising the country's pacifist constitution.

On June 9, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a draft proposal on revising the country's three key security documents later this year, according to Kyodo News. The proposal, formalized at the party's decision-making General Council, called for securing necessary funding to transform Japan's defense capabilities within five years.

Some other conservative parties in Japan also proposed amendments to Article 9 of the constitution -- the "peace clause" that renounces war and bans "war potential", during constitutional review meetings.

"I was taught when I was young that Article 9 of the constitution is very important for keeping Japan from becoming involved in war. Now the sudden move to revise it makes me feel fearful. So to express my feelings, I came here to protest the revision," said a protester.

The protest also targeted specific policy proposals, including potential changes to restrictions that limit arms exports.

As far as the issues of war and weapons exports are concerned, Japan has followed its own historical path since the end of World War II. But what [Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi is trying to do now is to reset this period of history back to zero. Unfortunately, some people support this approach, but I do not. I hope Japan will not take that [terrible] step again," said a protester.

"If we continue to strengthen military power, it will only worsen Japan's relations with neighboring countries. The government should not take this approach," said another protester.

Thousands protest against Japan's military expansion, constitutional revision