Trump threatens to occupy Iran over Strait of Hormuz threats, warns Hezbollah

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Iran-US war latest: Trump warns Tehran ‘we will take over your country’ if the Strait of Hormuz is closed

US president’s threats come as Vance joins other US officials in Zurich to hammer out peace deal terms with a battery of Tehran's leaders

President Donald Trump has threatened to “take over” Iran after Tehran vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz following alleged US and Israeli ceasefire breaches.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he had told Iranian officials: “You close the strait and you won't have a country. You won’t even make it back to your f****** country, we’ll take over the rest of the country.”

Iran said it would close the crucial waterway to tankers, but the US military had said that traffic continued to flow through the Strait and the US is monitoring the situation to ensure that continues.

The US president also warned in a post on Truth Social that the US will strike “very hard again” if it does not prevent Lebanese militants Hezbollah from “causing trouble”.

The threats come as vice president JD Vance formally launches negotiations in Switzerland between the US and Iran over curbing Tehran’s nuclear program and establishing long-term peace.

Tehran’s negotiators, including parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, along with central bank and oil officials, are already in the Swiss city of Zurich.

Netanyahu will try and undermine Trump’s Iran peace plan despite president’s warnings: report

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely try to undermine Donald Trump’s deal with Iran, U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly warned the administration.

Current and former U.S. officials told The Washington Post Netanyahu is intent on continuing operations in Lebanon despite an agreement signed by President Trump earlier this week.

The Israeli leader is facing intense political pressure to continue the conflict, that has run in parallel to the joint attacks on Iran he launched alongside the United States in February.

Israel’s Netanyahu will try and undermine Trump’s fragile Iran peace plan: report

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is already threatening to derail the deal Trump agreed this week

Maira Butt21 June 2026 14:50

Trump threatens to occupy Iran over Tehran's Strait of Hormuz threats

We’re getting more in from the US president, with reports now saying he has threatened to occupy Iran.

Trump told Fox News he spoke to Iranian officials about the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran said it will close.

“’You close the strait and you won't have a country,’” the US president claims to have told Iran.

“You won’t even make it back to your f****** country, we’ll take over the rest of the country,” he said.

Alex Croft21 June 2026 14:43

Breaking: Trump threatens to strike Iran if it does not curb Hezbollah

Donald Trump has just issued yet another threat against Iran, warning that the US will strike “very hard again” if it does not prevent Hezbollah

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” he wrote on Truth Social.

Israel has continued launching attacks on southern Lebanon, which it says are a response to Hezbollah attacks on targets in the region.

“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” the president added.

Alex Croft21 June 2026 14:39

Israeli soldiers in Lebanon are free to take action if under threat, Israel's Katz says

Israeli soldiers are free to act without restriction to eliminate threats in Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, adding troops remained in position in what Israel refers to as a security zone.

A ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect on Friday after months of escalating violence, but on Saturday Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported.

Israel said the strikes were a response to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group at its troops in southern Lebanon, prompting attacks on what an Israeli official described as "Hezbollah targets".

Iranian officials have said Lebanon is the focal point for Sunday's peace talks with the United States in Switzerland after Washington and Tehran signed a fra.mework to halt the war between them that began at the end of February, escalating tension across the region.

The Israeli military invaded parts of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah maintains it has the right to fight Israeli forces in Lebanon, but would halt attacks on northern Israel.

Maira Butt21 June 2026 14:20

Witkoff and Kushner in Switzerland as talks get underway

Maira Butt21 June 2026 13:49

New poll reveals 92 per cent of Israelis believe Iran has won the war

A new poll says 92 per cent of the Israeli public believe Iran has emerged the winner in the conflict with the US and Israel.

According to the survey conducted by the Hebrew University and Agam Labs, the vast majority of the Israel population have a negative view of Donald Trump’s deal agreed this week between the US and Iran, which includes a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The poll suggests that 82.9 per cent of Israelis believe the military campaign against Iran has weakened Israel’s long-term security and 86 per cent have a negative attitude towards the outcome of the conflict.

New poll reveals 92 per cent of Israelis believe Iran has won the war

Netanyahu faces overwhelming pressure domestically to continue the conflict despite Donald Trump’s efforts to end it

Maira Butt21 June 2026 13:30

Trump threatens 'Guardian Angel' toll amid reported Hormuz closure

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a Guardian Angel toll amid reports that the Strait of Hormuz is now closed.

He did not address the reports directly but said that he would impose a US toll if Iran did not stick to the agreement signed earlier this week but Tehran has accused the US and Israel of violating the ceasefire.

“And there will be no tolls after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.

Maira Butt21 June 2026 13:00

Read Trump’s 14 point Iran peace deal in full

Nearly four months after the U.S. started its war with Iran, Donald Trump has signed a long-awaited deal to end the war, restore global shipping and resolve an abiding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Details of a 14 point plan were previously released by US officials, with an official signing ceremony expected to take place in Switzerland on Friday. However, it emerged on Wednesday evening that it had already been signed by the US president and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said any further Israeli attacks on Lebanon would be considered a breach of the terms of the deal. With Israel having continued its strikes on the country’s south, there remain concerns the deal could still fall apart.

Read Trump’s 14 point Iran peace deal in full after US announces signing of agreement

Trump has said he will resume bombing after 60 days if talks on Iran’s nuclear programme do not progress

Maira Butt21 June 2026 12:23

From Meloni to Macron: How Trump’s relationships with Europe’s leaders fell apart one by one

Donald Trump has sparked an international spat with Italy, after he was accused of “serious and offensive” remarks about prime minister Giorgia Meloni.

Deputy prime minister Antonio Tajani cancelled a scheduled trip to the US over the comments claiming that they “offend all of Italy”.

The bizarre dispute appears to have started with claims Meloni wanted to take a picture with the US leader, before spiralling into personal attacks shared on social media.

But this is far from the first time that Trump has rubbed world leaders the wrong way.

From Meloni to Macron: How Trump’s relationships with Europe’s leaders fell apart

Trump’s seemingly off-hand remarks about the Italian prime minister have sparked a diplomatic spat. But it is not the first time the mercurial leader has rubbed world leaders the wrong way, Maira Butt reports

Maira Butt21 June 2026 11:30

Meeting with Iran, US and intermediaries planned on Sunday, says Iranian foreign ministry

A quadrilateral meeting between Iran, the United States, Qatar and Pakistan will be held at the Buergenstock mountaintop ​resort in Switzerland on Sunday afternoon, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson to Iranian state media.

Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran would hold meetings with intermediaries Qatar and Pakistan earlier in the day, adding that the gathering in Switzerland is a follow up on the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed with the US this week.

Maira Butt21 June 2026 11:00