Iran threatens to halt U.S. talks over Israel offensive

Iran said Monday it would stop communications with the United States unless Israel halts its expanding military offensive in southern Lebanon, injecting new uncertainty into efforts to extend a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim said the Iranian negotiating team was stopping “talks and exchange of texts through a mediator,” citing what it called the continuation of the “Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon.” The agency said Lebanon had been one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that the ceasefire had “now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon.”

Tasnim also demanded an end to what it called “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 through Pakistan, were being suspended.

The announcement came after Israel’s military warned residents of Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut and a stronghold of the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, to leave ahead of planned airstrikes. Hours later, those attacks had not been launched.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, through intermediaries, with Hezbollah leaders. “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,” Trump wrote. “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 later added that “Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Iran did not immediately respond to his posts.

Netanyahu issued a separate statement saying Israel would “continue operating in southern Lebanon as planned.” He said he told Trump that “if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and civilians, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut.” He added: “Our position remains unchanged.”

The diplomatic push is being mediated by Pakistan, Qatar and others. The first objectives, according to the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, are to preserve the ceasefire announced on April 8 and agree on a “memorandum of understanding” setting the agenda for further U.S.-Iran talks. Getting there has proved difficult as military exchanges continue and U.S. naval and air forces remain within striking distance of Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the standoff. Iran closed the waterway after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28, according to the BBC. Only a trickle of ships is getting through what had been a vital route for about 20% of the world’s usual oil and gas supply, along with other exports. Source 2 reported that competing U.S. and Iranian blockades have all but halted traffic, pushing up prices globally.

Saudi Arabia is piping some oil to Red Sea ports, and the United Arab Emirates has a pipeline to terminals on its Gulf of Oman coast beyond the strait. But the closure has still disrupted a major share of global energy flows.

Trump has been under pressure to resolve the stalemate. Earlier Monday, he wrote that “Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A.” Last week, the U.S. and Iran said they were close to a tentative 60-day ceasefire extension and a framework for talks to end the war, though the agreement was still awaiting Trump’s approval, according to Source 2.

Israel has occupied large areas of southern Lebanon, displacing more than a million people there, Source 2 reported. It has also increased airstrikes in Gaza, where a ceasefire was declared seven months ago. Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants who attacked Israel in October 2023, while the bombings have also killed scores of civilians. Source 2 reported that Israel controlled about half of Gaza when the ceasefire was declared, that the area has since risen to 60%, and that Netanyahu said last week the military would soon claim 70%.