DUBAI, U.A.E.: Iran has stopped indirect talks with the United States after Israel ordered its troops to move deeper into Lebanon to fight Hezbollah, which Tehran backs, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on June 1.
This has made efforts to end the three-month war more difficult.
Tasnim said Iran's negotiating team has halted sending messages to Washington through mediators because of the attacks in Lebanon, where the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has also revived Israel's conflict with Hezbollah.
This decision is another setback to hopes of quickly ending the crisis. It came after Iran said it had struck a U.S. air base following U.S. attacks on Iranian military targets over the weekend, which increased pressure on a fragile ceasefire.
Oil prices jumped by more than US$5 per barrel after the report.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that he believes Iran wants to reach a deal. However, Iranian officials have criticized what they call the U.S.'s "constantly changing" position in the talks, reducing hopes of progress.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also pointed to the situation in Lebanon, where a separate ceasefire is in effect, as a major problem.
He said that breaking a ceasefire in one area means breaking it everywhere, and warned that the U.S. and Israel would be responsible for the consequences.
The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also hurt the global economy by raising energy prices after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and gas supplies.
Tasnim reported that Iran and its allies — including groups in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq — are planning to fully block the strait and open other fronts, such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, to retaliate against Israel and its supporters.
If the Houthis in Yemen join the conflict more directly, they could target the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key shipping route leading to the Suez Canal.
Tasnim added that there will be no talks until Iran and its allies' demands regarding Lebanon are met.
Despite a ceasefire in place since early April, Iran and the U.S. have continued to exchange attacks at times, while Pakistan has been trying to help mediate a lasting peace deal.
The U.S. military said it struck Iranian air defense systems, a control station, and two drones that threatened ships, following what it called aggressive Iranian actions, including shooting down a U.S. drone over international waters.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said on June 1 it targeted a U.S.-used airbase in response to an attack on southern Iran.
Although Iran did not name the base, Kuwait said it activated its air defenses and condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks, warning that they were harming efforts to reduce tensions in the region.
