WASHINGTON, DC - Iran says it's suspending talks with U.S. if Israel does not halt its expanding offensive in Lebanon
Iran on Monday announced it was halting all communications with the U-S unless Israel stops its expanding military offensive in southern Lebanon, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim said.
Referring to Israel, the news agency said that "given the continuation of the Zionist regime's crimes in Lebanon and considering that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that this ceasefire has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is stopping 'talks and exchange of texts through a mediator.'"
It demanded an end to the "aggressive and brutal army operations in Gaza and Lebanon" and called for Israel's "complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon."
There was no immediate confirmation from senior Iranian officials that diplomatic messages – mostly relayed via Pakistan between the warring parties – were being suspended.
The Iranian announcement came shortly after Israel's military warned residents of Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a stronghold of the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah — to leave ahead of planned air strikes. Hours later, those attacks had yet to be launched.
President Trump took to Truth Social in the wake of the Iranian declaration to say that he had spoken to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, via intermediaries, to Hezbollah leaders, and said he had secured pledges to end the fighting that has left the ceasefire in tatters.
"I had a very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back. Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel," Trump wrote on the social media platform he owns.
He later added that "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran."
There was no immediate response to his posts from Iran.
But Netanyahu issued a statement saying the Israeli military would "continue operating in southern Lebanon as planned."
"I spoke this evening with President Trump and told him that if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and civilians, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut," he said.
"Our position remains unchanged," he added.
Oil prices put pressure on Trump
Trump has been under growing pressure to resolve the stalemate that has left the Strait of Hormuz closed for months. Before the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran three months ago, a fifth of the world's oil supply passed through the strategic waterway. That traffic has all but ground to a halt under competing U.S. and Iranian blockades, sending prices around the globe soaring.
Trump had seemed like he was confident about talks with Iran earlier in the day, when he posted on Truth Social that "Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A." He went on to say, "Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end - It always does!"
The U.S. and Iran said last week they were close to a tentative 60-day ceasefire extension and framework to start talks to end the war, but the agreement is still waiting on Trump's approval.
Israel has occupied huge areas of southern Lebanon, displacing more than a million people there. The Israeli military has also stepped up air strikes in Gaza, where a ceasefire was declared seven months ago. Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants who attacked Israel in October 2023. But the bombings have also claimed scores of civilian lives.
When the ceasefire was declared last October, Israeli forces occupied around half of Gaza's territory. That area has increased since then to 60%percent, and Netanyahu said last week that the Israeli military would soon be claiming 70% of Gaza.
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