US-Iran talks/ Tehran delegation leaves negotiation venue in Switzerland, Ghalibaf warns Trump to be careful with his statements

The Iranian delegation has left the building in Switzerland where it had been holding talks with the United States, aimed at efforts to end the war in the Middle East. This happened after Donald Trump threatened strikes against the Islamic republic over its support for Hezbollah.

The negotiations were affected by disagreements over the key issues of the agreement, while in parallel with the meetings, Washington and Tehran exchanged threats, increasing tensions and the risk of a new military escalation.

According to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, “The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, after meeting with the delegation of Qatar as one of the mediating parties, left the building where the negotiations were taking place.”

The same agency also stressed that, “At the same time the talks began in Switzerland, Donald Trump posted a message on X in which he repeated his threats and remarks against Iran.”

However, a diplomat informed about the progress of the meetings told AFP that the Iranian side had not definitively withdrawn from the negotiation process.

Earlier, Trump had warned that he would strike Iran if it did not “immediately stop their highly paid representatives in Lebanon from causing trouble.”

In response to this statement, Iran reacted with a counter-warning.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said: “It would be better for them to be careful with their statements; our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different way. No matter what they say, we are the ones who act.”

According to Iran’s state broadcaster, during the “first 80-minute round of talks” on Sunday, the nuclear program was not discussed. The discussions are reported to have focused on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington, as well as the situation in Lebanon.

On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran would not give up its right to enrich uranium, but denied that the country aims to build nuclear weapons.

“We can also declare in writing that we have no intention of building a bomb,” he said.