TEHRAN - The Iranian negotiating team suspended talks and the exchange of messages with the United States in protest of Israel's attacks against Lebanon, which it called 'Zionist crimes,' the Tasnim news agency reported.
According to the outlet, one of the preconditions for advancing toward a ceasefire between Iran and the US was the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon by Israel. Tehran claims that this point was violated 'on all fronts, including Lebanon,' prompting the suspension of dialogue.
IRAN'S DEMANDS
Iranian officials and negotiators have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, as well as a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied areas on Lebanese territory.
'As long as Iran's demands and those of the resistance are not met, there will be no dialogue of any kind,' Tasnim stresses.
Additionally, Iran is considering the possibility of completely blocking the Strait of Hormuz and activating other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb strait, 'to punish the Zionists and their supporters.'
The Bab el-Mandeb strait is a strategic route whose blockade would suffocate the Persian Gulf and send oil prices soaring.
ISRAELI OFFENSIVE IN BEIRUT
The Iranian announcement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the beginning of attacks on targets of the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah in the Dahieh neighborhood of Beirut.
A day earlier, an Israeli airstrike on the Nabatieh district in southern Lebanon killed at least eight people, including three women.
FRAGILE TRUCE AND ISRAELI OCCUPATION
Iran says it will not tolerate continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Despite the fragile truce declared in early April between Washington and Tehran, which according to the Iranian position includes Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continue to strike the south of the country.
Israel is creating what it defines as a 'security zone' in southern Lebanon and has already deployed troops on its territory, according to IDF maps and media reports. It has occupied dozens of villages and prevents residents from returning to their homes.
On May 26, it was reported that the IDF launched a ground operation in Lebanon, surpassing the so-called 'yellow line' imposed by Israel to prevent local residents from returning to occupied areas.
In response to the attacks, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced on May 30 that his country was facing a 'dangerous and unprecedented' escalation of tension by Israel. He detailed that Tel Aviv is not limiting itself to attacking specific areas but is applying a 'policy of mass destruction and forced displacement.'
Since March 2, the Israeli offensive on Lebanese territory has caused 3,371 deaths, 10,129 injuries, and over one million displaced, according to official figures.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting this Monday due to the increase in these attacks.
