WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that Iran could face strikes if it failed to stop Hezbollah from “causing trouble”, as senior US and Iranian officials began peace negotiations in Switzerland.
The talks began amid renewed tensions in recent days between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, a Tehran-backed ally, in southern Lebanon, raising concerns that the clashes could undermine a preliminary peace understanding reached between Washington and Tehran.
“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump said in a post 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 warning came after Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 people in eastern and southern Lebanon on Saturday. The violence was followed by a temporary pause in fighting later that evening after the Israeli military was instructed to halt clashes with Hezbollah.
A memorandum of understanding signed on Wednesday between the United States and Iran calls for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
Speaking at the start of the talks in Switzerland on Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance said there had been “great progress in the last just couple of days” in maintaining the ceasefire in Lebanon.
“We’re all working towards regional peace,” Vance said, adding that he felt positive about the situation in Lebanon.
“There’s still some additional wood to chop but we’re going to keep on working at it,” he added.
Vance also claimed that President Trump and the United States had done more than any other country in recent months to help end the conflict in Lebanon.