The Iranian delegation involved in talks with US representatives in Switzerland has voiced its protest at threats by US President Donald Trump to order new attacks on Iran if Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to "cause trouble," Iranian state news agency Irna reported.
English-language state broadcaster Press TV reported that members of the delegation are now weighing how to respond Trump's statements, made shortly after the high-level talks between the US and Iran in the Swiss mountain resort of Bürgenstock began earlier on Sunday.
Both sides have pledged to refrain from further attacks and threats under a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this week, paving the way for the Swiss talks, which are aimed at hammering out a long-term peace deal.
Iranian state news agency ISNA reported shortly afterwards that the talks in Bürgenstock, which also involved representatives of mediators Pakistan and Qatar, had been suspended for 80 minutes for internal consultations.
Members of the Iranian delegation have so far not officially commented on the reports.
It comes after Trump called on Iran to "immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble," as ongoing fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia continues to threaten negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
"If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, referring to a flare-up in fighting with Iran the week before the memorandum was signed.
Trump also told Fox News that he had issued a warning to Iran, after Tehran said on Saturday it would not open the Strait of Hormuz as foreseen by the memorandum, citing ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
"You close it and you won't have a country," Trump was quoted as saying. "You won't even make it back to your f------ country."
Meanwhile, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, citing a diplomat participating in the Swiss talks, said on X that "the Iranians haven't left" and that the talks were continuing.
