WASHINGTON, JUN 21: US President Donald Trump has warned of attacking Iran again if it does not stop what he calls its proxies in Lebanon, to stop “causing trouble” as Israel continued bombing Hezbollah locations despite a ceasefire.
“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said on his social platform, Truth Social.
While top Iranian and US leadership meet in Switzerland along with mediators Pakistan and Qatar, the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil supply route and a major talking point in talks between the warring countries — remains closed as per the Iranian military due to ceasefire violations by Israel.
Trump, in his post, added: “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, reported on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened as long as a ceasefire in Lebanon was not respected.
The source said the waterway would also remain closed until waivers allowing the sale of Iranian oil were issued.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that there was and is no restriction on Israeli soldiers to act to eliminate threats in Lebanon, with troops remaining in positions in the security zone.
Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon on Saturday, Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported, a day after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect after months of escalating violence.
Israel said the strikes were a response to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group at its troops in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli official described as “Hezbollah targets”.
Iranian officials have said Lebanon is the focal point for peace talks with the United States in Switzerland after Washington and Tehran signed a framework to halt the war between them that began at the end of February, escalating tension across the region.
Pakistan-mediated Switzerland talks begin
The technical-level talks between delegations from the US and Iran have begun in Switzerland, with Pakistan acting as mediator.
Ahead of the talks, US delegation — led by Vice President JD Vance and including special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Later, the Iranian delegation — Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — met the Pakistani side.
Vance expressed hope for additional progress in the coming hours during the talks, hailing the Pakistani leadership for their mediatory role.
Standing alongside the leadership of Pakistan and Qatar, Vance praised the roles played by PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir for their contributions towards the US-Iran deal.
The US vice president said Pakistan’s role had been appreciated around the world and expressed a desire to build on the current momentum in the future.
The US vice president said Washington wanted Iran to play a positive role in efforts for peace, while adding that peace in the Middle East remained a priority.
He also voiced concern over the situation in Lebanon and said that Trump was working to reduce tensions in the country amid Israel’s continuous attacks against Hezbollah’s locations.
“The technical negotiations may not solve every disagreement, but it will allow us to sit together as teams for the first time in history,” he said, adding that Trump was committed to seeing a full regional ceasefire.
