Trump: "If Iran shuts down Hormuz, I’ll blow it up". Tehran protests but remains at …

Negotiations to reach a lasting peace agreement between the United States and Iran began today in Bürgenstock, an exclusive Swiss Alpine resort chosen as the site of the first direct high-level negotiations between the two sides after half a century of hostility. The day, however, was marked by strong tensions and a protest gesture by the Iranian delegation, which temporarily left the talks table after new threats from American President Donald Trump.

According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, the delegation led by the President of Parliament and chief negotiator Mohamad Bagher Ghalibaf left the building in which the discussions took place after approximately 80 minutes of discussion, when the talks entered a “difficult phase” following Trump’s publication of a message on Truth Social deemed “offensive” by Tehran. In the post, the American president threatened to “blow up” Iran if Hezbollah continued to “create problems” in Lebanon.

Initial distrust and the continuation of mediated talks

Iranian distrust had been evident since the beginning of the day. Representatives of Tehran, including the Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchiavoided any photographs of them shaking hands with their US counterparts and did not attend the inaugural press conference with the American vice president JD Vancehead of the US delegation together with the prime ministers of Qatar and Pakistan, who play the role of mediators.

Despite the accident, contacts did not stop. According to a US diplomat interviewed by Axios, discussions continued almost unabated throughout the day in various negotiating formats. The official described the talks as “productive”, underlining that one of the main topics was Lebanon, with particular attention to deconfliction mechanisms and the implementation of the ceasefire.

Among the topics addressed there was also the Strait of Hormuzat the center of tensions in recent days after Iranian threats of a new closure of the sea route. According to the American source, Washington made it clear that it wanted to ensure that the passage remained completely open and they would be recorded “good progress” on this dossier. The discussions also covered all elements of the future nuclear deal and the modalities of application of the memorandum of understanding signed last Wednesday between Washington and Tehran. The parties worked to define common implementation mechanisms and to ensure that all participants share the same interpretation of the commitments undertaken.

The vice president Vance spoke openly of “great progress” made in the previous hours and said he was confident that further progress could be achieved during the negotiations. The number two in the White House defined it as “historic” the fact that high-level representatives of the two countries are discussing face to face after decades of conflict. The goal, he explained, is “to turn the page and transform the relationship with the Iranian people.”

At the same time Vance reiterated that Tehran will have to demonstrate that it is ready to cease representing a factor of instability regionally and to permanently renounce its ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons. On the Lebanese front, the vice president argued that progress is being made in implementing the truce despite the persistence of Israeli attacks.

“Peace is never easy,” he noted, adding that President Trump is committed not only to reaching an agreement with Iran but to building a broader regional peace.
The delicate point concerns Lebanon. For Tehran, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanese territory is a sine qua non condition. The prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katzthey reiterated, however, that “Israeli soldiers will remain in the buffer zone for as long as necessary to ensure Israel’s security.”