BÜRGENSTOCK, Switzerland (Dispatches) – Iran’s negotiating team dramatically walked out of talks with the United States on Sunday in protest at “blatant threats” by President Donald Trump, who warned Tehran to stop its allies in Lebanon or face devastating new military strikes—and threatened to “take over the rest of the country”—plunging the fledgling diplomatic process into crisis.
The walkout followed Trump’s belligerent statements on Truth Social and in a Fox News interview, including threats to “hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder” if Tehran did not rein in Hezbollah.
In the Fox interview, Trump escalated his rhetoric dramatically. He warned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to “better watch his mouth” and threatened: “He better shape up or we’ll take over the rest of the country.” 
On the Strait of Hormuz, Trump warned Iranians that if they closed it, “you won’t have a country” and “you won’t even make it back to your f----- country”. He also suggested the U.S. could become the “Guardian Angel” of the strategic waterway and “take 20% of the oil” or “collect tolls”.
The Iranian delegation declared Trump’s remarks a “flagrant violation” of Article 1 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which explicitly requires the U.S. to refrain from issuing “threats” and to ensure “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon”. 
According to Article 13 of the MoU, any negotiating process depends entirely on implementation of Article 1.
A source close to the Iranian team confirmed to Tasnim that the delegation left the venue after the threats. Iran’s Fars news agency reported that Trump’s remarks had interrupted negotiations and cast uncertainty over whether talks would continue.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker delivered a blistering critique on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday, warning that Americans should be “very worried” about Trump and Israeli
 PM Benjamin Netanyahu “upending any kind of viable pathway to peace in the Middle East.”
“Between Israel and America, we have two criminal presidents,” Booker said, pointing to Trump’s prior conviction and Netanyahu’s corruption trial. “These are two failed world leaders,” he added. “These are both failed leaders that I cannot wait until they’re off the world stage.”
Asked whether Trump deserved credit for trying to end the war rather than escalate it, Booker responded: “That’s like giving somebody credit for—literally an arsonist starting a fire and getting credit for running out of the burning building.”
“This president has led this nation into a disaster,” Booker said. “We have surrendered our power. We have capitulated to the enemy, and they now are mocking us.”
Booker also faulted congressional Republicans for failing to implement proper checks and balances on executive power throughout the conflict. “I’m really sorry that Congressional Republicans from the start of this war have allowed him to [do] everything he wanted to do,” he said. “And now they’re crying foul because they don’t like the result. Shame on Congress.”
Trump has repeatedly shifted between diplomacy and threats—reportedly retracting “destroying Iran” statements at least eight times. 
Parliament Speaker and lead negotiator Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf delivered a sharp retort on social media: “If their threats had worked, they would not have reached today’s impasse. We don’t take American threats seriously. The more they talk, the more we act.”
Ghalibaf also shared details of a profound moment before the talks: he received a video call from the family of Mikaeil Mir Dorqi, a schoolchild martyred in the bombing of Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab during the U.S.-Israeli war. 
The mother told Ghalibaf: “I pray for you from the bottom of my heart to be victorious and successful... may Iran always be victorious and proud.” The flight carrying the Iranian delegation to Geneva bore the name of the school.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf wrote: “I consider the innocent children of Minab and all the martyrs of dear Iran to be watching over my every action and behavior at every moment. They see us and expect things of us. God forbid that I should ever bring shame to the innocent martyrs and the people of Iran.” 
The talks, held in Switzerland’s Bürgenstock luxury resort with Pakistan and Qatar mediating, were meant to implement the 14-point memorandum signed June 18. However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Israel’s “continuous and relentless violation” of the Lebanon ceasefire has placed the entire agreement at risk.
Iran’s central military command announced the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, citing a U.S. “breach of contract” over Israel’s violations. Iran’s joint military command said the Strait was closed because of Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon, which constituted a violation of the ceasefire commitments.
Iran has insisted that implementation of Article 1—ending the war in Lebanon—is a prerequisite for any broader negotiations. A source close to the Iranian team told Tasnim that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is contingent not only on the lifting of the naval blockade but also on “the containment of Israel in Lebanon and the guarantee of Lebanon’s territorial integrity”.
No Photo Opportunity, No Handshake
The Iranian delegation also refused to participate in a photo opportunity with the U.S. team before the talks began.  
The proposed ceremony was to be held just days before the funeral of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was martyred in a U.S. strike. “Iranians want revenge,” a source said, explaining that images of Iranian and American officials together could have been interpreted domestically as a betrayal of those martyred during the terrorist war on Iran. 
The Iranian delegation has made clear that without a full and verifiable implementation of the Lebanon ceasefire, no further progress is possible. A source close to the Iranian team warned that “if Israel does not withdraw from Lebanon, any negotiations will be suspended”.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry stressed on Sunday that the first priority in Switzerland will be to ensure enforcement of the deal, especially in Lebanon, before technical talks can proceed towards potentially achieving a long-term resolution. 
“You will see no leniency or compromise from the Iranian delegation in pursuing Iran’s interests,” Baghaei said.