Iranian media said Sunday that Tehran’s delegation to negotiations in Switzerland was considering how to respond to what it called threatening remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump. FARS said an informed source described Trump’s threat as having stopped the talks and made their continuation uncertain. Tasnim reported that the Iranian delegation left the talks site in protest, while PressTV said Tehran had filed an official complaint with the Americans. Iranian broadcaster reports also said it was still unclear whether the dialogue with the United States would continue or be halted.
Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen said Iran had suspended the talks and would not return until Trump apologizes and Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon. A member of Iran’s negotiating team told the media that if the war in Lebanon does not end, there will be no talks on any other issue, and said practical steps had been taken on releasing frozen Iranian funds, with Qatari involvement.
Trump, speaking earlier on Fox News after the talks began, warned that the United States might take control of the Strait of Hormuz if needed, saying it could “blow them to pieces” and levy a tariff on passage through the shipping lane. He also said the U.S. could become the strait’s “guardian angel” and take 20% of the oil. Minutes later, on Truth Social, he wrote that Iran must immediately stop its “well-funded proxies” in Lebanon, Hezbollah, or the U.S. would strike Iran hard again, “just like we did last week, only stronger.”
Iranian parliamentary officials rejected the threats. Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, said the “empty threats” had expired. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who heads the Iranian delegation, said Iran does not count the threats, warned U.S. leaders to be careful with their statements, and said Iran’s armed forces are ready to respond.
The talks were held at Burgenstock, Switzerland, and began with the U.S. and Iranian delegations meeting mediators from Qatar and Pakistan. The American side was led by Vice President J.D. Vance and the Iranian side by Qalibaf, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was seen in the same room with Vance. FARS later said the first round ended after two hours. Vance said Trump had authorized a diplomatic solution and that the sides had made “a lot of progress,” including on Lebanon and the ceasefire there. Qatar’s and Pakistan’s prime ministers, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Shehbaz Sharif, also attended. Iranian state media later said no nuclear talks took place during the first 80 minutes, and that the focus was on implementing clause 13 of a memorandum, with Lebanon given priority. Separately, Senator Lindsey Graham said on X that if the deal fails, Trump will seize the Strait of Hormuz by force and that if Iran challenges U.S. control or attacks Israel through Hezbollah, the U.S. will respond by striking Iran.
