Iran has suspended talks with the United States in protest against Israel’s actions in Lebanon, according to Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim News Agency, as reported by CNN.
“Given the continuation of the Israeli regime’s attacks in Lebanon, and considering that Lebanon had been one of the preconditions for the ceasefire—which has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon—the Iranian negotiating team is suspending ‘talks and exchanges of texts through intermediaries,’” Tasnim reported.
Iran is demanding an immediate halt to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, Tasnim said. The agency added that “until Iran’s position and that of the resistance regarding these issues is fulfilled, there will be no negotiations.”
Tasnim further reported that Tehran and its allied militant groups in the region have placed on their agenda the “complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the activation of other fronts,” including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. Iran-backed Houthi Movement rebels in Yemen have previously carried out attacks on ships passing through the area.
CNN reported that it has contacted the White House for comment.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to strike the Dahieh district of Beirut, the city’s southern suburb that is considered a stronghold of Hezbollah. An Israeli official told CNN that the plans to strike Beirut had been coordinated with the United States.
