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Talks suspended over Lebanon
Iran suspended high-stakes negotiations with the United States on Monday to protest Israel’s expanding military offensive in Lebanon, according to government-aligned media, complicating efforts to end the three-month war.
“Iranian officials have warned that Israel’s escalating attacks on Lebanon and ongoing hostilities in Gaza threaten to derail the ongoing ceasefire negotiations with the United States which continue to drag on”
NBC News reported that Tasnim said, “The Iranian negotiating team will suspend ‘talks and the exchange of texts through mediators,’” as the dispute centered on Israel’s attacks in Lebanon.
The NBC News account also said Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that Iran might retaliate if Israeli attacks in Lebanon continue, adding, “If these crimes continue, we will not only suspend the negotiation process, but we will also stand against the Zionist regime.”
NBC News further reported that President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives from Hezbollah, saying “there will be no Troops going to Beirut.”
Ceasefire claims and threats
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi framed the Lebanon fighting as a ceasefire breach, writing, “The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” and warning that “Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts.”
Al Jazeera reported that Araghchi’s comments came as Israel deepened its invasion of south Lebanon and threatened to resume large scale attacks in Beirut, and it said a forced displacement order was issued for residents of the southern Beirut suburbs of Dahiye.
In the same NBC News account, Netanyahu later posted on X that the Israel Defense Forces would strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks do not stop, writing, “if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and civilians, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut.”
NBC News also said Trump claimed on Truth Social that Hezbollah agreed “that all shooting will stop,” and that Israel agreed “to stop shooting at them,” while Trump added “Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!”
Straits and next moves
Multiple outlets tied the diplomatic breakdown to threats over key waterways, with Tasnim reporting that Tehran would consider a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz and choking other waterways, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“Iranian negotiators will stop exchanging messages with the U”
CNBC reported that Tasnim said, “Also, the resistance front and Iran have resolved to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and activate other fronts including the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,” to punish Israel and its supporters.
The Hill reported that Israel announced Sunday it had captured Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle, described as a 900-year-old fortress north of the Litani River, and said Netanyahu ordered attacks on Hezbollah-controlled neighborhoods in southern Beirut.
CNBC added that oil prices leapt more than 7% higher following Tasnim’s report, and it said the conflict’s escalation left the strait “effectively choked off,” with traffic far below prewar levels when “over 100 ships would pass through each day.”
