US-Iran talks strained as Trump threats spark Iranian walkout

Talks expected to continue for rest of the week despite disruption caused by US president’s threat to bomb Iran and kidnap negotiating team High-stakes talks between the US and Iran are expected to continue for the rest of the week in Switzerland, after a tense start that saw Iranian negotiators walk out in protest at a stream of threats issued by Donald Trump on social media. The US president had threatened to bomb Iran and even to kidnap the Iranian negotiating team unless the strait of Hormuz was reopened, forcing mediators Qatar and Pakistan to continue negotiations in the background. Iranian state media said the talks had entered a “difficult phase” and recessed after the “publication of an insulting message by the US president”. It also said the Iranian delegation met Qatari mediators and then left the negotiating site. But high-level negotiations continued before concluding in the early hours of Monday, with Pakistan and Qatar saying technical talks between the two sides would continue for the rest of the week. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, praised Pakistan and Qatar for their mediation early on Monday, saying that they “delivered major progress”. A joint statemen