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Threats upend talks
High-level U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland began with Vice President JD Vance meeting Iranian officials as President Donald Trump threatened Iran with fresh attacks if it did not stick to a deal to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Trump said in a Sunday post on Truth Social, “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder.”
Iran’s military said Saturday it was closing the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, and the BBC reported that Trump exchanged warnings with Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf as a first round of direct talks was held in Switzerland.
Vance struck an optimistic tone during the talks, telling reporters, “The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf?”
The negotiations were aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement within a 60-day timeline, with the U.S. negotiating team including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and the Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Iran fires back
Iran responded directly to Trump’s threats, with Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf telling reporters, “No matter how much they talk, it is we who take action.”
In a separate exchange reported by the AP, Ghalibaf warned on X after Trump’s comments, “They would do better to be careful about their statements, our armed forces are prepared to respond to them in a different manner.”
The Guardian said Iranian negotiators suspended the talks in Switzerland in protest at Trump’s threats to bomb Iran and even to kidnap the Iranian negotiating team unless the Strait of Hormuz was reopened.
CNN reported that negotiations were stalled Sunday after Trump threatened Tehran’s delegation in an interview, while an Iranian source told CNN the talks were “stalled, but not over yet,” with back-channel dialogues ongoing to make the parties return.
Despite the tension, Vance told media that “great” progress had been made toward a future where “everyone can work together to promote peace and prosperity,” even as Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. would “hit Iran very hard again” if it did not stop Hezbollah in Lebanon.
What’s at stake
The stakes in the Switzerland talks are tied to the interim agreement’s core demands: Iran’s promise to let shipping flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz and the deal’s outline for an end to military operations in Lebanon.
“As Vance meets top Iranian officials in Switzerland, Trump threatens Tehran from afar As Vance meets top Iranian officials in Switzerland, Trump threatens Tehran from afar OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) — High-level U”
NBC News reported that Iran said Saturday it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. military denied Iran’s claim to control the strait, and the BBC said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was part of last week’s initial agreement to end the war.
The Washington Post said the memorandum of understanding puts the onus on the United States to deliver early, including by lifting sanctions, freeing billions in frozen assets, and dismantling a naval blockade of Iran’s ports, while the BBC described the initial agreement as including a commitment to reach a final deal within 60 days.
Iran’s position on Lebanon was also presented as a red line, with the MS NOW report saying Iran has deemed the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon a red line in any agreement.
As the talks proceed, the Guardian reported that before leaving the face-to-face talks in Burgenstock, Iran reached a draft agreement over how the U.S. will issue a waiver lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports, a key precondition before Iran will open talks on its nuclear file.
