Talks between Iran and the United States, which were underway in Switzerland, were suspended after U.S. President Donald Trump's hard-line remarks toward Iran, Iranian media reported on the 21st local time.
According to Reuters, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a source, said the Iranian delegation attending the talks left the venue. An Iranian negotiation team official told local media, "Unless the war in Lebanon ends, talks on other agendas cannot proceed," Reuters reported.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said the meeting was held in a four-party format with mediators Pakistan and Qatar participating, but after about 80 minutes it was recessed, and when the Iranian delegation abruptly walked out, the talks effectively fell into a stalemate.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliament speaker who headed the negotiating team, unleashed tough remarks toward the United States. He said, "If U.S. threats had actually been effective, we would not have reached such a desperate situation today," adding, "We never take U.S. threats seriously." He continued, "It would be better for the United States to speak carefully," warning strongly, "Our military is prepared to respond in other ways, and we will not be shaken by whatever they say."
Earlier in the morning, President Trump said on the social media platform Truth Social that if Iran fails to control Hezbollah, the United States could launch a high-intensity military strike against Iranian territory. With the talks suspended immediately after the U.S. president's public warning, tensions between the two countries are rising again.