LUCERNE: President Donald Trump and Iran’s lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf exchanged sharp warnings on Sunday as the first round of direct talks opened in Switzerland, days after the United States and Iran signed an initial agreement aimed at ending their war.
Trump threatened renewed military action against Iran unless it reined in Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group that has continued clashing with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Ghalibaf brushed aside the warning, insisting Iran’s armed forces stood ready for any confrontation.
The preliminary agreement reached last week commits both sides to finalising a comprehensive deal within 60 days, ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Since then, however, fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon has intensified, with Israeli air strikes that Lebanon’s health ministry says have killed dozens of people, including women and children. The escalation prompted Washington to announce a fresh Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire on Friday. Continued clashes led Iran to declare on Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, though tracking data indicates vessel traffic through the waterway has not actually stopped.
As the US and Iranian delegations sat down in Lucerne, Trump posted online demanding Iran immediately stop what he called its proxies from stirring trouble in Lebanon, warning of a forceful response if Tehran failed to comply. Ghalibaf fired back, suggesting that if such threats carried real weight, Iran would not be facing its current circumstances, adding that Iran responds through action rather than rhetoric.
By Sunday, fighting appeared to have eased somewhat, though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces would maintain their presence in southern Lebanon for as long as needed to safeguard northern Israel. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected any continued Israeli military presence in the south, vowing the group would defend itself.
Opening the talks at the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock, US Vice President JD Vance said Trump had instructed negotiators to approach this round with a fresh outlook. He indicated that should Iran’s leadership step back from fuelling regional instability and abandon long-term nuclear ambitions, Washington would be prepared to fundamentally reshape its relationship with Tehran. Iran maintains its nuclear programme remains entirely peaceful.
Vance was accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Ghalibaf was joined by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Also present in Switzerland were Pakistan’s prime minister and army chief, along with Qatar’s prime minister. Pakistan has played a mediating role throughout the conflict and previously hosted US-Iran negotiations. Qatar, which has also been mediating, saw its Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani welcome the continuation of talks late Sunday.
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