- Trump threatened to resume war with Iran even as his vice-president JD Vance met Iranian officials to begin peace talks in Switzerland.
- Trump posted threats on his Truth Social platform, stating, “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
- Trump's threats prompted negotiators to walk out of the high-stakes discussions in protest.
- Vance hailed progress during the first round of the direct US-Iran talks after their initial deal, stating Trump had asked him to use the negotiations to turn over a “new leaf” with Iran.
- Iranian state media reported that the negotiation had entered a “difficult phase” and recessed after the “publication of an insulting message by the US president.”
- High-level negotiations continued before concluding in the early hours of Monday, with Pakistan and Qatar saying technical talks between the two sides would continue for the rest of the week.
- Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, praised Pakistan and Qatar for their mediation, saying that they “delivered major progress.”
Donald Trump has threatened to resume military action against Iran, stating on his Truth Social platform that Iran must stop its proxies in Lebanon or face severe consequences. He warned, "If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!"
This aggressive stance comes as JD Vance, Trump's vice-president, engages in peace talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland. Vance reported progress in the negotiations, indicating a potential shift in US-Iran relations, as Trump urged him to turn over a “new leaf” with Iran.
However, Trump's threats led to negotiators walking out in protest, with Iranian state media describing the talks as entering a “difficult phase” following the publication of Trump's remarks. Despite the tensions, high-level negotiations continued, with Pakistan and Qatar mediating and stating that technical discussions would persist throughout the week. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, commended the mediators for achieving “major progress” in the talks.6
As the situation unfolds, the contrasting approaches of Trump and Vance highlight the complexities of US-Iran relations amid escalating tensions.
“Trump has threatened to resume military action against Iran while JD Vance reports progress in ongoing peace negotiations. The situation remains tense as negotiators react to Trump's aggressive statements.”
The Guardian