High-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran got underway in Switzerland on Sunday, but the diplomatic effort was overshadowed by fresh threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned Tehran of severe consequences if a final agreement is not reached.
The talks, led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian officials, are focused on three major issues: Iran’s nuclear program, ongoing violence in Lebanon involving the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, and the future of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
According to diplomats familiar with the discussions, negotiators have entered what was described as an “open dialogue,” with both sides exploring the framework for a final agreement following a preliminary memorandum signed last week.
Speaking ahead of the talks, Vance said the Trump administration was prepared to improve relations with Iran if Tehran abandoned what he called its role as a “driver of regional instability” and gave up any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons.
But even as negotiators met behind closed doors, President Trump struck a far more confrontational tone. During an interview with Fox News, Trump threatened to resume military action against Iran and suggested the United States could take control of the Strait of Hormuz if negotiations fail. “We may take over the Strait if we have to,” Trump said. “If they don’t make a deal, we’ll collect tolls.”
The president also issued a direct warning to the Iranian delegation participating in the talks, saying that if Iran attempted to close the strategic waterway, “you won’t have a country.”
The comments came after Iranian officials announced Saturday that they intended to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to what they described as Israeli violations of a ceasefire in Lebanon and failures by the United States to fulfill commitments under last week’s agreement.
