Iran has suspended indirect talks with the United States in response to Israeli military operations in Lebanon, Iranian media reported on Monday, dealing a setback to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the three-month-old conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran’s negotiating team had halted the exchange of messages with Washington through mediators, arguing that developments in Lebanon could not be separated from broader regional negotiations.
According to the report, Iran and the “Resistance Front” — comprising allied groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen — have discussed measures that include maintaining pressure on key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in response to Israeli actions.
“Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The United States and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a post on X.
Tasnim reported that Iranian officials have insisted on an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, before negotiations can resume.
Fragile ceasefires under pressure
The conflict that erupted on February 28 has killed thousands of people by the US and Israel, primarily in Iran and Lebanon, and has disrupted global energy markets.
Although a ceasefire between Iran and the United States has largely held since early April, both sides have continued to exchange accusations and limited military strikes. Pakistan has been attempting to mediate a broader and more durable settlement.
The US military said over the weekend that it struck Iranian air defence systems, a ground control station and two drones that it claimed were threatening maritime traffic following what it described as aggressive Iranian actions, including the downing of a US drone over international waters.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it had targeted a US military facility in response to attacks on southern Iran. While it did not identify the location, Kuwait activated its air defence systems and condemned missile and drone attacks that it said were undermining regional de-escalation efforts.
The US military later said it had intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces stationed in Kuwait. No casualties were reported.
Trump defends negotiations
US President Donald Trump insisted that progress towards a deal remained possible despite the latest tensions. In a late-night social media post, Trump said Iran “really wants to make a deal” and criticised detractors, including what he described as “seemingly unpatriotic Republicans”, for undermining the diplomatic process.
“Just sit back and relax, it will all work out well in the end — it always does,” he wrote.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of sending mixed signals and constantly changing its negotiating positions.
“The other party is constantly changing its views and putting forward new or contradictory demands. It is natural that this situation will prolong negotiations,” Baghaei said.
He added that Iran viewed Israeli military actions in the region as inseparable from US policy.
Major differences remain
Despite intermittent diplomacy, significant obstacles continue to stand in the way of a comprehensive agreement.
Trump has repeatedly said his primary objective is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons using its highly enriched uranium stockpiles. Tehran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful.
The two sides also remain divided over sanctions relief, the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian oil revenues held abroad, and restrictions on Iran’s maritime trade and port activities.
Another major challenge is the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered fresh strikes on targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. His office accused the group of repeatedly violating a ceasefire reached in late April.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate discussions with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts. According to a US official, Washington has proposed a framework for the “gradual de-escalation” of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.
