‘No Negotiation Under Threat’: Why Iran Walked Out Of Switzerland Talks Leaving JD Vance At The Table

Published 23 June 2026 · india

‘No Negotiation Under Threat’: Why Iran Walked Out Of Switzerland Talks Leaving JD Vance At The Table Published By, Last Updated: June 23, 2026, 08:55

‘No Negotiation Under Threat’: Why Iran Walked Out Of Switzerland Talks Leaving JD Vance At The Table Published By, Last Updated: June 23, 2026, 08:55 IST Iran Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf said he directly raised the fresh threat issue with JD Vance, who was part of the US team for talks in Switzerland. Iranian Minister Abbas Araghchi (C) and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf (3rdR) during Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland, on Sunday. (AFP photo) The Iranian delegation walked out of high-level talks in Switzerland on Sunday and refused to take part in a planned photo opportunity with the United States negotiation team. But why? This came as an objection to fresh threats made by US President Donald Trump towards Tehran. The talks at the Burgenstock resort involved delegations from Iran, the United States, Pakistan and Qatar under the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which aims to reduce regional tensions and advance a wider diplomatic framework. What Iran said on the walk out? Explaining the decision to leave the talks, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said he was informed during the discussions that Trump had made threatening comments about Iran’s president, the negotiating team and possible attacks on Iranian territory. “In the middle of the discussions, I learned that Trump had made threatening remarks regarding our president, the negotiating team, and possible attacks on our territory," Ghalibaf said.

He said he directly raised the issue with US Vice President JD Vance, who was part of the US team for talks in Switzerland. “I told Vance, we are here engaged in talks, and according to the signed understanding, the first clause states that there should be no threats or coercion. Yet today your president has issued threats. Understand that we never negotiate under threats or pressure. We ended the negotiations, left the meeting, and did not return,’" he said. Ghalibaf added that the American delegation later sought another meeting through mediators, but Tehran declined. “The American side sought another meeting through the mediators, but we refused. The Qatari and Pakistani mediators then came to us, and we told them that we would speak with them, but not with the American side directly. The outcome of these discussions and the 80-minute negotiations was the statement later released by the Pakistani and Qatari side," he said. The walkout followed Iranian objections to Trump’s latest warning urging Tehran to finalise a deal, stating, “or you won’t have a country". According to Iranian state media, Tehran viewed the remarks as incompatible with the spirit of the ongoing negotiations and raised concerns about them both publicly and privately during the talks. Iranian officials argued that the comments breached Article 1 of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which commits both sides to refrain from threats of force while negotiations are in progress.