(AFP) – Iran warned the United States on Sunday to “be careful” after President Donald Trump threatened to strike the Islamic republic over its support for Hezbollah, even as the arch-foes held talks in Switzerland seeking a deal to permanently end the Middle East war. The negotiations to end a war that sowed chaos across the Middle East and rattled the global economy are meant to trigger a 60-day period to settle broader issues that have dogged US-Iranian relations for decades.
But disagreement over key sticking points and the threat of renewed fighting in Lebanon weighed on the talks, with Washington and Tehran exchanging threats in parallel with the negotiations. “They would do better to be careful with their statements; our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different manner. No matter what they say, we are the ones who act,” Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said. US President Donald Trump had threatened to strike Iran if it did not “immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile reiterated that troops would remain in south Lebanon “as long as necessary”. Netanyahu also repeated vows that he would “not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons,” while Iran’s state broadcaster said the nuclear programme had not been discussed on Sunday. “No negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear programme took place during the 80-minute first round of talks,” the broadcaster said, adding that it was not clear whether the talks would continue or be suspended.
It said the focus had been on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, and the situation in Lebanon, adding that the Iranian delegation refused to begin the meeting until journalists left the room. US Vice President JD Vance had earlier expressed hope of turning a “new leaf” during the talks. Flanked by US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in the luxury Swiss resort Burgenstock, Vance hailed “a historic meeting,” adding: “The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together? Can we turn over a new leaf? Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently? Or do we go back to doing things the old way, which is not our preference, but it’s certainly very much something that can happen.”
The talks to end the months-long conflict are taking place against the backdrop of Iran closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz again in response to recent Israeli attacks on Lebanon. “It is not possible to enter the negotiation phase for a final agreement” unless there is an end to the war in Lebanon, foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X. Washington and Tehran’s memorandum of understanding signed this week included a provision to end fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
But there have been repeated clashes in Lebanon since, which prompted Iran to say it would again shutter the crucial oil and gas trade route, having opened it as part of the deal. By Sunday evening, however, there had been no reports of Israeli strikes or continued fighting, with some residents of southern Lebanon cautiously trickling back to their homes. Lebanon aside, there has been no indication that Iran’s support for armed groups across the region, which has long drawn the ire of the US and Israel, will be addressed in the negotiations.
Speaking on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would not relinquish its right to enrich uranium, though he repeated Iran’s denial that it wants nuclear weapons. “We can also state in writing that we have no intention of building a bomb,” he said on the presidential website. Baqaei, meanwhile, said the unfreezing of Iranian assets and “issuing the necessary licences for the sale of Iranian oil will also be on the agenda.”
The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, sparked by the Tehran-backed militant group attacking Israel in support of Iran in the wider war, has repeatedly threatened to derail peace efforts. On Friday, planned US-Iranian talks were postponed after Israel launched deadly strikes in Lebanon following the deaths of four of its soldiers in combat there. Israel’s military chief visited troops in south Lebanon on Sunday, where he said Hezbollah was in a “very difficult position.”
“Hezbollah has suffered a severe and significant blow, and we are committed to remaining prepared to continue operating and prevent its rebuilding,” Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, according to a military statement. The overall death toll from the fighting in Lebanon has now surpassed 4,100, the health ministry said.
burs-amj/jsa – Robin Millard with AFP teams in Tehran, Washington, Jerusalem and Beirut.
© 2024 AFP
