Threatened by Mr. Trump during negotiations, the Iranian delegation responded

“We can take over the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. If Iran does not reach an agreement with the US, we will collect tolls in this maritime route,” US President Donald Trump said in an interview on June 21. Fox News.

He warned of resuming bombing of Iran and appeared to threaten the Iranian delegation negotiating with the US in Switzerland.

“I told Iranian officials that if you close the Strait of Hormuz, you will no longer have a country. You cannot even return to your country,” the US President added, adding that he believes the US can become the “protector angel” of the strait and control 20% of the oil passing through here.

In a post on social media, the head of the White House continued to warn Iran about its proxy forces in Lebanon.

“Iran must immediately stop using their highly paid proxy forces in Lebanon to cause trouble. If they don’t do that, the US will once again hit Iran very hard, like we did last week, but even more fiercely,” Mr. Trump said.

The Iranian delegation participating in negotiations in Switzerland issued an official statement of protest to the US side after Mr. Trump’s threat. “The delegation is considering appropriate responses to Mr. Donald Trump’s recent threats,” Press TV posted on X.

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the US not to threaten Tehran, and declared “our armed forces are ready to respond”.

“Doesn’t the US think that if threats were effective, they wouldn’t be in a deadlock like today? We don’t care about threats from the US,” Mr. Ghalibaf said. “It’s better for the US to be more cautious in their statements. No matter what they say, we are the ones taking action.”

Tasnim later quoted a source saying that the Iranian delegation left the dialogue venue to protest the US President’s speech.

The US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian representatives led by National Assembly Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are negotiating at the mountain resort of Burgenstock, Switzerland, with the participation of representatives from two intermediary countries, Pakistan and Qatar.

“President Trump asked us to turn to a new chapter, changing the relationship between the US and Iran,” Mr. Vance said before starting the dialogue.

The negotiations took place in the context of Iran announcing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. “It is impossible to enter the negotiation stage to reach a final agreement if fighting does not end on all fronts,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei posted on X.

According to Iranian state television, Tehran’s nuclear program was not mentioned in the first round of negotiations, which lasted 80 minutes. Instead, the focus is on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, as well as the situation in Lebanon.