U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, June 21 threatened to strike Iran if it did not immediately restrain its Hezbollah allies from launching further attacks, just as top-level peace talks between Washington and Tehran got underway in Switzerland.
The warnings follow a series of recent clashes in southern Lebanon between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, which have threatened to derail a fragile interim peace deal reached between the United States and Iran last week. “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on Wednesday between the United States and Iran stipulates a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and binds both sides to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.
Trump’s remarks appeared to place blame for the recent flare-up entirely on Hezbollah, making no mention of Israel, despite having criticized Jerusalem in recent days for operating in Lebanon in ways he called indiscriminate.
He also floated the idea of allowing Syrian government forces under President Ahmed al-Sharaa to confront Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, reportedly expressing the belief that Syrian forces would be more precise than the Israeli military.
The threat came as U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance arrived at the Bürgenstock resort near Lake Lucerne to formally launch face-to-face negotiations with top Iranian officials, including Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,alongside mediators from Qatar and Pakistan.
The high-stakes summit aims to expand the preliminary deal, address Iran’s nuclear program, and guarantee long-term maritime safety in the Strait of Hormuz.Despite Trump’s social media warning, Vance struck a hopeful tone in front of reporters before the sessions commenced, calling the summit a “historic meeting” to permanently reset relations.
“I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon,” Vance said, noting progress over the past couple of days toward stabilizing the ceasefire. “There’s still some additional wood to chop but we’re going to keep on working at it.”