Iran responded in strong terms to the threats issued by Donald Trump. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President of the Iranian Parliament and the country’s chief negotiator, stated that Tehran is unaffected by Washington’s threats and is ready to respond if deemed necessary.

At the same time, an Iranian source participating in the Bürgenstock negotiations, cited by CNN, stressed that “the negotiations between the US and Iran have ‘stuck,’ but have not yet been terminated,” following the threats made on Sunday by US President Donald Trump.

According to the same source, behind-the-scenes contacts are continuing, with the goal of bringing the two sides back to the diplomatic table. In this context, the Iranian delegation conveyed its reservations to the Qatari mediators.

Apart from Trump’s threats, the biggest obstacle in the process appears to remain Israel, since the Lebanon issue is of existential importance to Iran, which does not want to separate it from the other issues on the negotiating table.

Earlier, Bloomberg, citing unconfirmed information from Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, reported that Tehran had suspended talks with the United States following Trump’s threats. Fars reported that the talks in Switzerland are in a state of uncertainty, quoting an anonymous source.

Meanwhile, the also semi-official Tasnim agency reported that the Iranian delegation had withdrawn from the negotiation venue (though this appears to have occurred after the completion of the first round, so that private talks with Qatari mediators could continue).

Shortly afterwards, Bloomberg clarified, citing Iranian sources, that “the negotiators continued to participate in the talks in Switzerland.”

Ghalibaf’s response to Trump’s threats

In a post on the X platform, Ghalibaf argued that US pressures and threats have not produced the results the American side sought, implying that Washington is now in a weaker position.

“Don’t they realise that if their threats had any effect, they wouldn’t have reached the point of desperation they are in today? We do not take American threats into account,” he wrote.

The Iranian official followed up with a fresh warning to the United States, stressing that the country’s armed forces are fully prepared for any eventuality and possess response options that “should not be underestimated.”

“Better to be careful with their comments. Our armed forces are ready to respond differently. Whatever they say, we are the ones who will act,” he said.

What was discussed in the first round of negotiations in Switzerland

According to Iranian state media, after the four-party talks, bilateral discussions began between Iran and Qatar.

State television referred to a “pause” in negotiations between Iran and the US, stating that the nuclear program was not discussed. At this stage, the talks focused on compliance with the memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries’ presidents mid-week, as well as the situation in Lebanon.

However, according to Al Jazeera, there appears to have been some progress in Switzerland. Iran stated that the talks concerned frozen assets and a proposal for lifting sanctions in the oil sector.

“In today’s negotiations, we discussed the issue of our frozen assets and the arrangements for their release,” Hossein Ghorbanzadeh, a member of the delegation negotiating with the US, told Iranian state television.

He added that the discussions focused on lifting sanctions related to Iran’s energy sector: “In Switzerland, we discussed a temporary exemption from sanctions on oil and its derivatives, and the final draft proposal on this matter has been completed.”

Trump’s controversial statements

Earlier today, US President Donald Trump said the United States may “seize” the Strait of Hormuz if no agreement is reached with Iran, and he threatened the Iranian delegation negotiating in Switzerland.

“We may take the Straits if necessary,” Trump said during a 20-minute phone interview with Fox News. “If they don’t reach a deal, we’ll collect tolls.”

On Saturday, Iranian state media reported that Iran’s military command had announced it would close the Straits due to alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the US “failure to implement” the first clause of the temporary agreement to end the war.

During the Fox News call, Trump appeared to threaten a repeat of US strikes on Iran and a meeting between his negotiators and Vice President JD Vance in Switzerland.

“You close them and you won’t have a country,” Trump claimed he told Iranian officials regarding the critical waterway. “You won’t even get back to your f***ing country.”