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Last Updated:June 21, 2026, 21:13 IST
The Iranian team had rejected repeated US and organiser requests for the ceremonial gesture, and the photo-op was carried out with US, Pakistani and Qatari mediators.
The Iranian delegation at the Lake Lucerne Summit at the Buergenstock resort in Switzerland. (Reuters)
A tense moment unfolded in Switzerland during high-level talks between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the war in West Asia, where the Iranian delegation refused to participate in a planned handshake and a photo-op with the US delegation.
A video by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency showed the Iranian delegation, led by Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, walking out of the packed room ahead of a planned handshake and photo-op session with US negotiators.
The Iranian delegation refused to take part in a planned handshake and joint photo-op with the U.S. delegation.Source: Tasnim pic.twitter.com/Cgpz5LkGTO
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 21, 2026
US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation during the high-level talks, said both sides made “great progress" in the discussions. However, the Iranian team was not seen during his remarks to the press.
The Iranian team had rejected repeated US and organiser requests for the ceremonial gesture, informing them they would not appear alongside American officials in any media event, according to reports. JD Vance and the US team participated in the photo-op session with Pakistani and Qatari mediators.
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Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More
News world Tense Moment In Switzerland: Iran Refuses To Participate In Photo-Op With US Negotiators | Video
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