Iran walks out of Switzerland peace negotiations after Trump threatens Hezbollah and Strait of Hormuz
Talks between the US and Iran in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, collapsed after 80 minutes on Sunday when the Iranian delegation walked out in protest of President Trump's threats to strike harder and seize the Strait of Hormuz.
High-stakes start in the Alps
After a fragile memorandum of understanding signed only days earlier, US and Iranian delegations met on Sunday afternoon at the Bürgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne. The Americans were led by Vice President JD Vance; the Iranian side by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who wore a pin commemorating a primary school in Minab bombed by the US during 'Operation Epic Fury'. Qatari and Pakistani mediators participated to keep the channel open.
Iran must immediately stop its highly paid proxies in Lebanon. If they do not, we will hit Iran hard again, just like last week, but even stronger.
Trump's pre-meeting ultimatum
Hours before the session began, Trump posted demands from Camp David. He threatened to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force and to take 20% of oil transiting there, adding in a Fox News interview that if Iran closed the strait, "they wouldn't even have a country to return to". The message cast an immediate shadow over the talks, which were meant to flesh out the 14-point memorandum, including a Lebanon ceasefire, Iran's nuclear programme, and the status of the strait.
If they close the Strait of Hormuz, they wouldn't even have a country to return to.
Handshake refused and walkout
According to Iran's state news agency IRNA, the Iranian delegation refused a public handshake with Vance and left the venue after 80 minutes, citing the new threats. The meeting was expected to produce a joint photo, but none was taken. Iranian spokesman Esmaïl Baghaï had earlier warned that no accord would be possible without an end to hostilities in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes killed at least 30 people on Saturday before a temporary halt.
No matter how much they talk, we are the ones who act.
Mixed signals and regional fallout
Before Trump's threats became public, Vice President Vance had reported "great advances" in the discussions, without offering details. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz meanwhile said its troops would remain in southern Lebanon "without any restriction" to "eliminate threats". The sudden breakdown leaves the 60-day window for resolving delicate issues (the nuclear file, Lebanon, Ormuz) in jeopardy, with no new meeting scheduled.
