Iran has suspended participation in a four-party meeting involving the United States, Qatar and Pakistan after US President Donald Trump warned Tehran against supporting groups in Lebanon, according to Iranian officials.
The development came during negotiations in Switzerland linked to a 14-point memorandum of understanding. While the diplomatic format involving all four countries broke down, discussions on Iranian oil exports, frozen assets and maritime security arrangements continued at the technical level.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran decided not to proceed with the quadrilateral meeting after Trump’s comments were published during the discussions.
According to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, Baghaei said talks had begun on Sunday morning and covered several issues related to a possible final agreement.
“The war on all fronts, including Lebanon, must end,” he said.
Baghaei said negotiators discussed licences required for Iranian oil sales and the release of frozen Iranian assets. He claimed progress had been made on both issues.
“The issuance of the necessary licenses for the sale of oil and the release of Iranian assets were discussed, and good progress was made,” he said.
Trump remarks trigger diplomatic rift
The Iranian spokesperson said tensions rose after Trump issued a warning to Tehran regarding its alleged support for armed groups in Lebanon.
“During the quadrilateral meeting, the US’s threatening statement was published, which caused Iran to announce that it was not willing to continue the quadrilateral meeting under such circumstances,” Baghaei said.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, warned Iran against backing what he described as its “highly paid proxies” in Lebanon.
“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!!!” Trump wrote.
Iranian Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf, who is serving as Tehran’s chief negotiator, rejected the warning and described it as a sign of American desperation.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf said Iran would not be intimidated and asserted that the country’s armed forces were prepared to respond if required.
Oil sales, frozen assets and Hormuz security remain on agenda
Despite the collapse of the quadrilateral format, Baghaei said negotiations continued on issues considered essential for advancing towards a final agreement.
Among them were arrangements related to oil sales, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a proposed mechanism to ensure the safe movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
“A mechanism was to be established regarding the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which is important,” he said.
Baghaei also said discussions included provisions for monitoring compliance with obligations under the memorandum of understanding and addressing concerns related to commitments made by different parties.
According to him, Qatar and Pakistan attempted to preserve the four-party format after the dispute emerged, but Iran declined.
“Qatar and Pakistan tried to continue the talks, and we said that it would not be in a quadrilateral format,” he said.
Technical teams to continue work
Baghaei said the negotiating teams had completed their current round of discussions, but technical experts would continue work on Monday.
“At this stage, the work of the negotiating team has ended, but the technical teams will continue their work tomorrow,” he said.
He added that mediators Qatar and Pakistan were expected to issue a document outlining the understandings reached during the 18-hour session.
Baghaei said progress on oil sales and access to frozen Iranian assets remained crucial for moving towards a final agreement under the memorandum.