No Handshake With Washington: Why Iran Pulled Out Of Deal Signing Ceremony In Switzerland
No Handshake With Washington: Why Iran Pulled Out Of Deal Signing Ceremony In Switzerland Reported By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 10:21 IST A planned
No Handshake With Washington: Why Iran Pulled Out Of Deal Signing Ceremony In Switzerland Reported By, Last Updated: June 19, 2026, 10:21 IST A planned show of diplomatic progress was abandoned after concerns that it could trigger a backlash across Iran. Rapid Read Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and US President Donald Trump. (File Image) Iran pulled out of a proposed public ceremony in Switzerland to mark the US-Iran peace agreement after hardliners warned that sharing a stage with American officials could provoke severe domestic backlash, a key source close to a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander has told CNN-News18. The ceremony, scheduled to be held in Bürgenstock on Friday, June 19, was expected to bring Iranian and US representatives together publicly after the two sides concluded a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending the conflict. However, CNN-News18 has learnt that no senior Iranian leader or top US official will now travel to Switzerland. The process will instead move into an extended phase of technical negotiations involving officials from the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan. According to the source close to the IRGC commander, resistance within Iran intensified over the prospect of Iranian officials shaking hands with their American counterparts or appearing alongside them before television cameras.
The proposed event was to be held just days before the funeral of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, who was killed in a US strike. The timing made the prospect of a public display of reconciliation with Washington particularly damaging for the Iranian leadership. “Iranians want revenge," the source said, explaining that images of Iranian and American officials together could have been interpreted domestically as a betrayal of those killed during the conflict. Hardline factions reportedly conveyed to the leadership that the diplomatic value of the ceremony did not outweigh the political risks at home. Their objections centred not only on unresolved concerns over the agreement, but also on the symbolism of a public handshake with Washington. Technical Negotiations To Continue For 60 Days Advance teams representing the United States, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan are already stationed in Bürgenstock and Zurich, according to high-level diplomatic sources. The teams are expected to hold several rounds of negotiations over the next 60 days to resolve the technical and operational details that were not settled in the initial memorandum. The coming discussions are expected to determine how the commitments contained in the MoU will be implemented and whether the preliminary understanding can be converted into a comprehensive and lasting settlement.
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