Donald Trump threatened to resume war with Iran even as his vice-president JD Vance met Iranian officials to begin peace talks in Switzerland.
Also overshadowing negotiations in Bürgenstock was Tehran’s announcement it had again closed the strait of Hormuz, a threat made because of ongoing Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
In apparent reference to the Tehran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, Trump on Sunday posted on his Truth Social platform: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
Speaking to Fox News, the US president also threatened to take over the Hormuz strait and appeared to threaten to kidnap the Iranian negotiators, saying: “You close it and you won’t have a country. You won’t even make it back to your fucking country.”
Trump’s threats prompted the negotiators to walk out of the high-stakes discussions in protest. The comments also contrasted with the tone of Vance, who hailed progress during the first round of the direct US-Iran talks after their initial deal and said Trump had asked him to use the negotiations to turn over a “new leaf” with Iran.
US-Iran talks strained as Trump threats spark Iranian walkout
Iranian state media said the negotiation had entered a “difficult phase” and recessed after the “publication of an insulting message by the US president”. The Iranian delegation met Qatari mediators and then left the negotiating site, reports said.
But high-level negotiations continued before concluding in the early hours of Monday, with Pakistan and Qatar saying technical talks between the two sides would continue for the rest of the week. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, praised Pakistan and Qatar for their mediation early on Monday, saying that they “delivered major progress”.
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Trump faces fresh bipartisan criticism on Iran deal
US political figures from left and right have voiced fresh objections to Trump’s provisional deal with Iran.
Outgoing Republican senator John Cornyn posted a line on X from a Wall Street Journal article on how rogue regimes evade US economic warfare. Senior Democratic figure Susan Rice added to her recent description of the US-Iran deal as a “horrific surrender” by Trump, calling it “egregious” because “so many concessions were granted up front”.
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Trump says beleaguered reflecting pool will ‘probably’ be drained for repairs
The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington would “probably” be drained for repairs, the president said, after algae blooms and peeling paint marred the controversial recent renovation efforts for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations next month.
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At least seven killed in Chicago shootings as Trump renews military call
At least seven people have been killed and dozens injured in several shootings in Chicago since Friday, police said, with Trump again calling for military intervention in the midwestern city.
In a post on Truth Social, the president questioned why Illinois’s governor, JB Pritzker, had not welcomed military deployment.
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The Memphis observers tracking Trump’s anti-crime taskforce
Nine months after Trump ordered an anti-crime taskforce on to the streets of Memphis, a small band of dedicated observers is attempting to monitor its actions.
They have alleged widespread intimidation by agents, who stand accused in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee of having tailed cars, surveilled homes and even “falsely arrested” one community observer.
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What else happened today:
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Public health resources across the US are failing to keep pace with the rapid growth of online gambling, problem health advocates warned, after Trump endorsed the controversial nationwide surge of prediction markets.
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Keir Starmer is expected to announce on Monday that he will step down as British prime minister, after overwhelming pressure from Labour MPs to make way for Andy Burnham to become Labour leader.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 20 June 2026.
