The Iranian government has suspended peace talks with the United States in protest of Israel’s recent military operations in Lebanon. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, Tehran announced that the Israeli strikes violate one of the prerequisites for establishing a ceasefire, prompting the Iranian negotiation team to halt discussions and the exchange of draft texts through the mediators.
In light of these events, Iran has issued several demands. It called for an immediate halt to Israel’s wars in both Gaza and Lebanon, alongside the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from Lebanon. Tehran stated that negotiations would not resume until both Iran and the “resistance movements” have their positions on these issues fully satisfied.
Simultaneously, Iran and allied militant groups in the region issued warnings, threatening the “total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz” as well as activating additional fronts, including the Bab-el-Mandeb strait in the southern Red Sea, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels have previously targeted passing ships.
Meanwhile, Israel resumed its aerial attacks in Beirut on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israeli military was ordered to target Hezbollah positions in the southern suburbs of Beirut. They justified these military actions by citing repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah in Lebanon, alongside attacks directed at Israeli cities and citizens.
