Iran Suspends US Talks Amid Lebanon Escalation and Maritime Threats

(MENAFN) Iran has reportedly suspended negotiations with the United States in response to the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Lebanon, while also signaling potential restrictions on maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports citing informed sources.

The escalation follows intensified Israeli air operations in Lebanon, where strikes have targeted areas that Israel says are linked to Hezbollah. Israeli forces have also advanced further into southern Lebanon, including the seizure of Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old Crusader fortress considered a strategically important position.

Reports indicate that Iran had made an end to the Lebanon conflict a condition for continuing its mediated negotiations with the United States. Despite a nominal ceasefire announced in mid-April, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has continued without a clear resolution.

According to reports, Tehran has now halted “negotiations and exchange of messages through a mediator” in response to the situation. Iranian officials are also said to be demanding an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in both Lebanon and Gaza as a prerequisite for resuming diplomatic engagement with Washington.

Sources further suggest that Iran and its allied regional actors have discussed the possibility of restricting access through the Strait of Hormuz. There are also indications that they may “activate other fronts,” including disrupting shipping routes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Earlier, Tehran and Washington had reached a fragile ceasefire agreement in early April following more than a month of clashes triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. Since then, both sides have maintained intermittent direct and indirect communications aimed at drafting a memorandum of understanding that would extend the truce by 60 days and restart nuclear negotiations.

However, over the past week, tensions have escalated again, with both sides accusing each other of violations. US Central Command stated that it carried out “measured and deliberate strikes” over the weekend in response to “aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.”

Iran, meanwhile, insisted the drone had violated its airspace, and later launched retaliatory strikes targeting an airbase in the region used by US forces, further intensifying the cycle of military exchanges.

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