Trump, Iran's Ghalibaf Trade Threats at Switzerland
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- Trump and Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf exchanged threats as a first round of direct US-Iran talks opened in Lucerne, Switzerland, following the initial agreement to end the war signed earlier in the week.
- Trump threatened to "hit Iran very hard again" if Hezbollah did not stop clashing with Israeli troops in southern Lebanon; Ghalibaf dismissed the threat and said Iran's armed forces were prepared for confrontation.
- The initial agreement commits both sides to reach a final deal within 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz (through which 20% of the world's oil and gas travels), end fighting on "all fronts" including Lebanon, and includes a $300bn (£224bn) reconstruction plan for Iran plus US termination of "all types of sanctions."
- Despite the deal, Israeli air strikes have killed at least 67 people in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks killed 5 Israeli soldiers since the agreement; the US declared a new Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire on Friday, and Iran announced Saturday it had shut the Strait of Hormuz in response.
- Maritime tracking data contradicted Iran's claim: four tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz by late afternoon Sunday, and additional vessels were transiting in both directions, though some ships may have trackers turned off.
- The US delegation was led by Vice-President JD Vance alongside Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff; Iran's Ghalibaf was accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while Pakistan's PM and army chief and Qatar's prime minister attended as mediators.
- Vance said Trump asked negotiators to "turn over a new leaf" and the US is willing to "fundamentally transform" ties if Iran gives up "nuclear weapons ambitions for the longer term"; Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful, and the nuclear issue remains the central unresolved question.
Why it matters: The 60-day clock toward a final US-Iran deal is already under strain because the 'all fronts' ceasefire condition is breaking in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes killed at least 67 people post-agreement. Iran is holding the Strait of Hormuz — 20% of global oil and gas — as leverage, while the $300bn reconstruction package and full sanctions termination form its core incentive. With Trump and Ghalibaf trading threats on day one, Lebanon is the immediate tripwire that could collapse the talks.
