Iran Walks Out of 80-Minute US Talks After Trump Threat – But ‘Progress’ Reported
Both sides say they are making progress toward ending the four-month conflict, but the talks hit a major snag when Iran’s delegation walked out of an 80-minute meeting after President Donald Trump issued new threats [178797]. The walkout came during direct negotiations in Switzerland, where U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian chief negotiator Mohamed Baqer Qalibaf are leading the discussions [178626]. Despite the disruption, mediators from Qatar and Pakistan kept channels open, and diplomats describe the overall atmosphere as constructive [178843][178797].
The talks, held at the Bürgenstock complex near Lake Lucerne, are the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades [178626]. They focus on Iran’s nuclear program, a ceasefire in Lebanon, and the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds held in Qatar [178626]. Both sides have formed working groups to draft a final peace deal, according to Qatar’s foreign ministry [178526]. However, no timeline for a final agreement has been announced [178843].
Iran suspended the talks last Friday after a major Israeli attack in southern Lebanon killed more than 100 people, but resumed them on Sunday [178626]. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bagaei said the violence in Lebanon violates the preliminary peace deal, accusing “the Zionist regime” of breaking its commitments [178626]. Iran’s top diplomat also warned that any continued Israeli military presence in Lebanon would violate the interim ceasefire deal brokered by the United States [174398].
The negotiations come after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17, establishing a 60-day truce [178626]. Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian said the preliminary deal benefits his country and repeated that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons [178626]. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright reported that oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is flowing normally, with 67 ships passing through in the last 24 hours [178626].