US President Donald Trump stressed that his country will not tolerate any Iranian attempt to disrupt navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran will face "heavy bombardment" if it closes the strait or obstructs the implementation of existing understandings, threatening the Iranian leadership by saying, "You will have no country left."
In an interview with Fox News, Trump called on Tehran to work to control its allied factions in Lebanon, considering that any regional escalation could affect the course of ongoing understandings.
According to media reports, Trump's threats caused a state of tension within the negotiation atmosphere, as the talks were briefly suspended following the Iranian side's objection to the US statements, and the developments were quickly reflected on global markets, with oil prices rising amid fears of the collapse of the negotiation track and the return of tension to the Gulf region.
Vance downplays Trump's recent remarks
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, on the other hand, adopted a quieter rhetoric, stressing that his primary task is to move the diplomatic path forward.
Vance said the U.S. president had sent him to Switzerland "to use the tools of diplomacy and reframe peace in the Middle East," adding that Washington was "reaching out to the Iranian people" in order to bring about a historic shift in relations between the two countries after decades of tension and hostility.
He pointed out that the US administration still sees a real opportunity to reach a comprehensive understanding that addresses the contentious files between the two sides, and downplayed the impact of Trump's statements, considering that they came in response to what he described as provocative speeches and statements issued by the Iranian side.
"The president's statements did not derail the talks and did not deviate from their main objectives, and despite the temporary pause, the negotiation process continued and the negotiations," Vance said.
According to international media, the two sides reached a preliminary understanding on a 60-day roadmap, which includes continuing negotiations to reach a final agreement.
The understandings also included the establishment of a direct line of communication to avoid any security incidents in the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to steps related to the lifting of some restrictions on Iranian oil exports and the partial release of frozen Iranian financial assets.
This comes as a continuation of the memorandum of understanding signed by Washington and Tehran in mid-June with Pakistani and Qatari mediation, which established a general framework for ending confrontations and addressing controversial files through dialogue and negotiation.
U.S. Issues General License for Oil Sales Related to Iran
The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday issued a general license on Iran that allows the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian-origin crude oil, petrochemical and petroleum products until August 21.
Under the memorandum of understanding signed last week between Washington and Tehran, the United States agreed to issue exemptions for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, derivatives and all associated services, including banking, insurance, and transportation.
The U.S. Treasury Department said transactions authorized under the new U.S. general license include imports of crude oil, petrochemical products, and petroleum products into the U.S., stressing that the license does not authorize transactions involving North Korea, Cuba and Ukraine.
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