Trump Warns Iran Over Hezbollah, Strait of Hormuz as Vance Opens Talks in Switzerland

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Iran with renewed military strikes if Tehran fails to restrain Hezbollah in Lebanon or keep the Strait of Hormuz open, even as Vice President J.D. Vance opened high-stakes talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland.

The negotiations, brokered with support from Pakistan and Qatar, are aimed at turning a fragile ceasefire into a broader agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program, Hezbollah’s attacks from Lebanon, and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil travels.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder.”

Trump also warned Iran against interfering with the Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran said it had closed the waterway in response to continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah.

“You close [the Strait of Hormuz] and you won’t have a country,” Trump said he told Iranian officials in a Fox News interview.

Vance struck a more diplomatic tone in Switzerland, saying the United States hoped to “turn over a new leaf” with Iran and build a lasting framework out of the current ceasefire.

“The question before us now is how much more can we accomplish together?” Vance said. “Can we change relations in the Middle East permanently, or do we go back to doing things the old way?”

Officials from Iran, Qatar and Pakistan said the first round of high-level talks ended early Monday morning Swiss time, with technical talks expected to resume later in the day. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed negotiators had made “major progress” on Lebanon-related issues, though he gave no details.

A U.S. official said the talks focused on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, creating deconfliction mechanisms, enforcing a ceasefire in southern Lebanon, and addressing Iran’s nuclear program.

The nuclear issue remains deeply contentious. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that Tehran “will never back down from the right to enrich uranium.” Iran insists its program is peaceful, but Western and Israeli officials warn that Tehran has enriched uranium far beyond civilian-use levels.

Washington and Tehran have signed a memorandum of understanding requiring the United States to lift sanctions and end a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran must allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz and halt military operations in Lebanon during a 60-day negotiating window.

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah is a party to the agreement, raising doubts about whether it can be enforced. Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem said Sunday his group would not accept any deal allowing Israeli “security zones” in southern Lebanon.

“There are no ‘security zones’ for Israel,” Kassem said.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned Hezbollah as a “malignant cancer” and a terrorist organization that has killed hundreds of Americans.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran could ultimately help bring down the Islamic Republic, calling that outcome “the real triumph.”

Some Republicans remain skeptical that diplomacy will succeed. Sen. Lindsey Graham said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that he expects the talks to fail and warned that the United States could take control of the Strait of Hormuz by force if Iran threatens global shipping.

Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said any agreement with Iran must be based on verification, not trust, and backed by the credible threat of military force.

For now, the talks remain fragile. Washington is trying to prevent a wider regional war, Israel is insisting on security against Hezbollah and Iran, and Tehran is seeking sanctions relief while refusing to surrender its nuclear enrichment program.

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