'Will hit harder': Trump threatens fresh military action against Iran amid peace talks
US President Donald Trump threatens Iran to 'hit harder' Trump threatens Iran Iran rejects US threats Lebanon ceasefire under strain US President Donald Trump threatened
US President Donald Trump threatens Iran to 'hit harder' Trump threatens Iran Iran rejects US threats Lebanon ceasefire under strain US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran "harder" if it continued backing groups that, according to Washington, are destabilising Lebanon, prompting a sharp response from Tehran, whose chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would not be intimidated by US threats and that its armed forces were prepared to respond.The exchange came as US and Iranian delegations met in Switzerland for talks aimed at easing regional tensions, with both sides discussing the implementation of a recently finalised memorandum of understanding under Qatari mediation.In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble. If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!"The US president accused Tehran of using proxy groups to destabilise the region and linked Iran to the latest escalation in southern Lebanon.
His remarks appeared to reference recent US military action against Iranian targets and ongoing hostilities involving Hezbollah and Israel.Trump's warning came amid a fresh round of diplomatic engagement in Switzerland, where Iranian and American delegations held four-party negotiations with the participation of Qatari mediators. According to reports, the two sides engaged in technical discussions concerning the memorandum of understanding that was digitally signed on Friday.Following the meeting, US Vice President JD Vance expressed optimism about efforts to preserve stability in Lebanon and said progress had been made in maintaining the ceasefire."We've seen great progress over the last couple of days in ensuring the ceasefire in Lebanon holds," Vance told Swiss media.Responding to Trump's remarks, Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed the US president's warning and said Tehran would not alter its position under pressure."Don't they think that if their threats had any effect, they would not have reached today's state of desperation?
We do not take American threats into account," Ghalibaf said.He further warned Washington against escalating its rhetoric, saying, "They would do better to be careful with their statements; our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different manner. No matter what they say, we are the ones who act."The comments underscored the continued tensions between the two countries despite ongoing diplomatic efforts and raised questions about the prospects for de-escalation in the region.The war of words unfolded against the backdrop of renewed violence in Lebanon. Iran once again closed the Strait of Hormuz following Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon that reportedly killed more than 25 people on Saturday.In response, Hezbollah launched attacks against Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) positions, saying it would retaliate against what it described as "hostilities from the enemy."Israel and Lebanon remain bound by a fragile ceasefire agreement.
The BriefWire