Iranian officials halted indirect negotiations with the United States, citing continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Gaza as violations of ceasefire terms.
1:38 PM
Iran's negotiating team has suspended talks with the United States through mediators, according to Iranian state media reports on Monday. The decision came in response to what Iranian officials characterized as ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.
Iranian officials stated that Lebanon was a precondition for the ceasefire agreement, and that continued Israeli operations represent violations across all fronts. The Iranian negotiating team announced it was suspending "dialogues and exchange of texts through a mediator," according to Tasnim, a news agency affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Iranian negotiators emphasized the immediate cessation of what they described as the Israeli regime's "aggressive and brutal operations" in Gaza and Lebanon. Officials also called for the regime's complete withdrawal from occupied areas in Lebanon. According to reports, there will be no resumption of talks until Iran and what officials referred to as "the resistance" reach agreement on these conditions.
The suspension follows Israeli military operations in southern Beirut on Monday. Israeli armed forces announced the strikes were directed at targets associated with Hezbollah, which Iran considers an ally as part of what it calls the "Axis of Resistance."
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