Iran walks out of US talks after Trump military threat

Iran Walks Out of US-Iran Talks in Switzerland After Trump Issues Fresh Military Threats

The first round of US-Iran talks at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland descended into acrimony on Sunday after Iran’s delegation refused a joint photo opportunity with American officials and later walked out of the venue in protest over President Donald Trump’s threats of renewed military strikes against Tehran.

A Rocky Start at Bürgenstock

The long-delayed negotiations — mediated by Pakistan and Qatar under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this month — brought together Vice President JD Vance, envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on the American side, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leading Tehran’s delegation. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani were also present as mediators.aljazeera

Before talks began, organizers and the US delegation had arranged a handshake and joint photo session. Iranian negotiators refused, dismissing the exercise as an American “media show,” according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. Footage from the venue showed Araghchi briefly entering a room where Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner were seated, only to leave moments later before Vance delivered opening remarks.indiatoday

Trump’s Threats Trigger Walkout

The situation deteriorated after Trump took to Truth Social during the negotiations: “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!!!”. In a separate Fox News interview, Trump warned Iranian officials they “won’t have a country” if they follow through with threats to close the Strait of Hormuz.cbsnews

Iran’s Tasnim reported that the delegation left the venue in protest. A source cited by Iran’s Press TV said negotiators had “raised objections to the American side” and were “assessing the conditions to give a proper response to Trump’s verbal threats”.indiatoday

Lebanon Looms Over Broader Deal

Despite the turbulence, Vance struck an optimistic tone during brief on-camera remarks, calling it “a historic meeting” and saying “great progress has been made”. But Iran made clear that broader negotiations would not advance unless the war in Lebanon ends. Tehran views Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon as a violation of the memorandum’s first clause, which calls for a permanent cessation of hostilities on all fronts.aljazeera

The fighting in Lebanon has persisted despite a ceasefire brokered on Friday, with Israeli strikes killing dozens over the weekend and Iran reclosing the Strait of Hormuz in response. Israel maintains it is not bound by the US-Iran agreement. Talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives remain scheduled for June 23-25 in Washington.cbsnews