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Washington: While a meeting regarding peace was taking place between Iranian and US leaders in Switzerland, US President Donald Trump ( Trump) issued a major statement concerning Iran. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, he threatened to strike Iran again. US President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social, “Iran must immediately stop its highly paid proxies in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they do not, we will strike Iran very hard again—just as we did last week, or perhaps even harder.”
Trump’s threat to Iran
In another statement, issuing a direct warning regarding potential disruptions to maritime routes, Trump indicated that if vital shipping lanes were blocked, Washington would launch a massive retaliatory strike. Trump told Fox News, “If you close it, your country won’t survive. You won’t even make it back to your country.”
The US President also hinted that Washington could take direct operational control to secure global shipping corridors and impose transit fees on oil shipments passing through those routes. He said, “If necessary, we can seize that strait. I will completely destroy them.” He added, “If they don’t reach an agreement, we will collect a toll.”
Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz
It is worth noting that earlier on Saturday, Iran’s joint military command had spoken of closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran stated that this move was prompted by Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Additionally, Iran accused the US of “bad faith” and of failing to fulfill its promises to end the war. In its statement, Iran explicitly warned that “plans have been made to take further steps if the aggression continues.”
**Meeting in Switzerland**
A meeting regarding peace talks between the US and Iran took place in Switzerland. US Vice President JD Vance stated on Sunday that there is an opportunity for a “fresh start” with Iran. Discussions were held to advance the interim agreement reached between the two sides last week, aimed at ending the war. Vance and US negotiators met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagheri Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at a mountain resort in Switzerland, near Lake Lucerne. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar were also present during these direct talks. The meeting was scheduled to take place at a resort in the Swiss highlands near Lake Lucerne.
**Discussions on Israel and Lebanon**
The sporadic conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters threatens to derail US efforts to secure concessions from Tehran regarding its nuclear program and to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Prior to the meeting with Vance, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iran’s state news agency that the country’s primary focus during Sunday’s talks would be the ongoing war between Israel and Lebanon.
