Donald Trump threats shake up U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland on deal’s details

U.S. President Donald Trump continued to threaten Iran on Sunday even as talks began in Switzerland between his vice president and Iranian officials on next steps in the interim agreement signed last week to end the war.

The U.S. team is led by Vice President JD Vance and includes Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The Iranian negotiators are led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Pakistan and Qatar are mediators.

On the eve of talks, Tehran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz again over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon. Iran has said talks must first address that issue.

The U.S. says shipping traffic on the crucial waterway continues, and Trump has threatened to impose American tolls in the strait if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days. Other issues include unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets and addressing the heart of tensions: Iran’s nuclear program.

Israel’s military says residents of the north near the border with Lebanon will be able to move around freely with no restrictions as of Monday morning. For months, residents have faced restrictions because of the threat of attack by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in southern Lebanon.

The military did not say what led to its decision Sunday, but it has noted that a fragile ceasefire is in place. Its announcement came as the U.S. and Iran meet in Switzerland on their interim deal to end the war. Iran has insisted they must address Israel’s attacks in Lebanon first.

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon.

Israel’s military says it killed an Islamic Jihad militant commander who took 12-year-old Yagil Yaakov hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

The military said it killed Zaki Youssef Mahmoud Abu Mustafa on Friday in a strike in southern Gaza. It accused him of trying to rebuild the Islamic Jihad militant group in violation of the ceasefire.

Nasser hospital confirmed that he was killed in a strike in Muwasi that wounded five other people, including four children.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency suggested that talks have “entered a difficult phase” after what it described as an “insulting” statement by Trump. It did not specify the statement. Trump made multiple provocative warnings to Iran on Sunday, including to “hit Iran very hard again.”

An official with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press that the Iranian delegation remains engaged in the talks and has not indicated to mediators any intention to leave. The official requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.