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.
Iranian representatives told travelling reporters that the walkout was intended as a protest against Trump’s remarks. However, diplomatic sources indicated that discussions continued during the day despite the brief disruption.
Tehran skips joint photo with US
Signs of tension reportedly emerged even before the formal negotiations began.
According to Iranian state media, Tehran refused to participate in a planned joint photograph with the American delegation, describing the event as a US “media show”.
Iranian officials maintained that Trump’s public threats had damaged confidence-building efforts at a time when negotiators were trying to move forward on a framework covering de-escalation, sanctions relief and nuclear-related issues.
JD Vance snubbed?
Another episode from the talks attracted significant attention on social media.
Footage circulating online appeared to show Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani greeting Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif without acknowledging Vance, leading to claims that the US vice president had been diplomatically snubbed. However, none of the governments involved publicly described the interaction in that manner.
Reports from the meeting said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefly entered the room before Vance’s remarks. He greeted and embraced Sharif but did not interact with the US vice president.
Although the images from the meeting generated widespread discussion online, negotiators from all participating sides remained engaged in the talks.
Pakistan PM appears surprised by walkout
Following the incident, a video from the meeting that later went viral on social media showed Araghchi approaching Sharif for a short exchange before leaving the room along with members of the Iranian delegation.
Sharif appeared visibly surprised by the sudden departure. He was later seen gesturing towards Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir while developments unfolded around the negotiating table.
Vance, who was seated nearby, watched the situation before moving towards the Pakistani delegation.
The brief walkout highlighted the tensions that surfaced during the Switzerland talks, even as mediators from Pakistan and Qatar continued efforts to keep diplomatic engagement on track.
