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Amid stalled negotiations as part of the technical talks between Iran and the US in Switzerland, US President Donald Trump warned Tehran of hitting the Islamic Republic "very hard" if they "immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon", which Iranian Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf described as a sign of American 'desperation', while sharply criticising the US President, dismissing the remarks as ineffective.
Following Trump's remarks, Ghalibaf, who is also the chief negotiator from the Iranian side, in a post on X said that Iran would not be intimidated by such threats from Washington and asserted that the country's armed forces were prepared to respond if necessary. "Don't they think to themselves that if their threats had any effect, they wouldn't have reached the point of despair today? We don't count on the threats of the Americans. They better be careful with their statements, our armed forces are ready to respond in another way. Whatever they say, we are the ones who will act," the post read. His remarks came in response to a statement by Trump, who warned Iran against supporting its 'proxy groups' in the region, particularly in Lebanon, in a veiled reference to Hezbollah. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "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 exchange marks the latest escalation in rhetoric between Washington and Tehran amid ongoing technical talks as part of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached between the two sides to end the hostilities in West Asia. Meanwhile, the first round of high-level US-Iran diplomatic talks currently underway in Switzerland has concluded, with the session suspended after 80 minutes to allow the delegations to conduct "internal consultations", according to Iran's Fars news agency. US Vice President JD Vance convened in Switzerland with senior Iranian officials on Sunday to mark the commencement of high-level diplomatic efforts aimed at finding a complete solution to the crisis in West Asia. During the talks, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, Vance articulated Washington's readiness to "fundamentally transform" its relations with Tehran, relaying a directive from Trump, who has encouraged both parties to turn "a new leaf" in their diplomatic engagement. The discussions, which include key stakeholders, are primarily tasked with addressing Tehran's nuclear programme and overcoming critical obstacles within the framework of a fragile interim agreement, including the operational status of the Strait of Hormuz. (ANI)
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