US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to launch fresh strikes on Iran unless it stopped Hezbollah from “causing trouble”, as senior American and Iranian officials opened peace talks in Switzerland.
The negotiations began amid renewed clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, raising concerns over the stability of the preliminary peace agreement reached between Washington and Tehran.
“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump wrote 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 on Saturday in eastern and southern Lebanon before fighting eased later in the day when the Israeli military ordered a halt to operations against Hezbollah.
The memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran on Wednesday provides for a cessation of hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon.
Speaking at the start of the talks in Switzerland, US Vice President JD Vance said recent developments had strengthened hopes that the ceasefire would hold.
“I’ve seen great progress in the last just couple of days in ensuring that the ceasefire holds in Lebanon,” Vance said.
“We’re all working towards regional peace. I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon. There’s still some additional wood to chop but we’re going to keep on working at it.”
Vance also maintained that the Trump administration had done more than any other country in recent months to help curb the conflict in Lebanon.