Donald Trump threatened to resume military action against Iran on Sunday, even as Vice-President JD Vance met Iranian officials in Switzerland for peace talks. The warning came after Iran announced it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
Trump's Threats Spark Iranian Walkout
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "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!!!" Speaking to Fox News, he escalated further, threatening to take over the strait and appearing to threaten the Iranian negotiators: "You close it and you won't have a country. You won't even make it back to your fucking country."
Iranian state media reported that the negotiations entered a "difficult phase" and recessed after the "publication of an insulting message by the US president." The Iranian delegation met Qatari mediators and then left the negotiating site, according to reports.
Vance's Contrasting Tone
Trump's threats contrasted sharply with Vance's tone. Vance had hailed progress during the first round of direct US-Iran talks and said Trump asked him to use the negotiations to turn over a "new leaf" with Iran. The walkout highlighted the rift between the administration's hardline and diplomatic approaches.
Despite the walkout, high-level negotiations continued and concluded in the early hours of Monday. Pakistan and Qatar announced that 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 they "delivered major progress."
Bipartisan Criticism of Iran Deal
Trump's provisional deal with Iran faced fresh bipartisan criticism. Outgoing Republican Senator John Cornyn posted a line from a Wall Street Journal article on how rogue regimes evade US economic warfare. Senior Democratic figure Susan Rice, who had previously called the US-Iran deal a "horrific surrender" by Trump, described it as "egregious" because "so many concessions were granted up front."
Other Developments
In other news, Trump said the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool would "probably" be drained for repairs after algae blooms and peeling paint marred recent renovation efforts ahead of America's 250th anniversary celebrations. At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in several shootings in Chicago since Friday, with Trump again calling for military intervention. In Memphis, a small band of observers monitoring Trump's anti-crime taskforce alleged widespread intimidation by agents, including tailing cars, surveilling homes, and falsely arresting one community observer.
