TEHRAN — Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on June 21 sharply rebuked U.S. warnings, saying Tehran will not be cowed by threats and that its armed forces stand ready to respond. Speaking after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened retaliatory strikes over Iran’s backing of Hezbollah, Ghalibaf said Iran does not heed American threats and cautioned Washington to choose its words carefully.
Trump posted on Truth Social earlier the same day that Iran must “immediately stop their highly paid proxies in Lebanon,” and warned that the United States would strike Iran “very hard again,” echoing recent military action. The exchange comes amid renewed clashes between Israel and the Tehran-backed Hezbollah, which has drawn international concern over the potential to widen regional conflict.
By the evening of June 21 there were no confirmed reports of further Israeli strikes or an escalation in fighting. The tensions unfolded as U.S. and Iranian delegations met in Switzerland, with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, following a preliminary agreement earlier this week aimed at ending hostilities. Iranian media reported that Trump’s remarks prompted a pause in those talks, a claim not independently verified.
The memorandum signed by Tehran and Washington earlier this month includes a pledge by both parties to “refrain from the threat or use of force against each other,” a point highlighted by analysts as central to sustaining the fragile diplomatic process.