A video from the Iran Peace Summit held in Switzerland on June 21 has gained widespread attention online. The footage, which has been shared extensively on X, appears to show Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, greeting Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, while overlooking U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Did Qatari diplomats snub Vice-President Vance during Iran peace talks in Switzerland?
The exchange took place at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland, where representatives from the U.S., Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan held the first round of talks under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. JD Vance attended alongside Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, reports The Daily Beast.
The clip, which surfaced during Vance’s visit to Switzerland for U.S.- Iran talks amid rising regional tensions, appeared to show Sheikh Mohammed entering a reception area where Vance and other officials were present. The Qatari Prime Minister then appeared to bypass Vance and instead greet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir. Additionally, the Iranian delegation appeared similarly unresponsive to Vance, despite his description of the summit’s progress as “historic”.
Many social media users label it a diplomatic snub. A user commented, “I can’t believe Vice President JD Vance of the United States of America is getting humiliated like this.” Another wrote, “Wow the Prime Minister of Qatar totally ignored Vance who was positioned at the front of the Iran Peace Summit in Switzerland and instead greeted the Iranian and Pakistani Diplomats with hugs and kisses.”
Mario Nawfal, a podcast host and political commentator, wrote, “This is BRUTAL. Vance flew to Geneva for the Iran talks, and the Qatari minister just flat-out refused to greet him. The Geneva talks are already suspended, Iran walked out of the photo-op, and now Vance is standing there with an outstretched hand and nobody is taking it. The most powerful country on earth is having a very bad day in Switzerland.”
Axios reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi was present in the room but chose not to join statements or pose for a photo with Vance. According to The Independent, diplomats gathered for this peace summit to discuss steps to end the war in the Middle East.
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Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta on Reality Tea
