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Iran’s state news agency Tasnim reported that the country’s negotiating team is suspending all message exchanges with the United States conducted through intermediaries, citing ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

According to Tasnim, the Iranian negotiating team is freezing all communication until a set of specific conditions are met. Chief among them is a complete cessation of Israeli military operations in both Lebanon and Gaza.

At the same time, Tehran is sending a clear escalatory signal, with reports indicating that Iran and its allies are considering the possibility of a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Warnings

The US naval blockade and Israel’s escalation of what Tehran calls war crimes in Lebanon constitute clear evidence that the United States is not honoring the ceasefire, warned Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, head of the Iranian negotiating team in talks with Washington and re-elected speaker of the Iranian parliament, in a post on X. Qalibaf squarely accused the United States of undermining the process of exiting the crisis.

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“Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due. It will all fall into place,” he wrote.

The Lebanon Ceasefire

“We insist that a ceasefire in Lebanon is an essential prerequisite for any agreement with the United States to end the war in the Middle East,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei at a press conference in Tehran.

Those statements came just hours after the Israeli leadership ordered the IDF to strike the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Hezbollah. The Israeli military has in recent days pushed deep into southern Lebanese territory while continuing its air campaign in parallel. On its side, Hezbollah has kept up drone strikes against Israeli positions in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.

Baghaei also accused the United States of continuing to violate the fragile ceasefire with Iran that has been in force since April 8. US forces announced strikes against southern Iran targeting radar and drone control systems. “The United States is also violating the ceasefire. This happened this morning as well,” Baghaei stated.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a broader warning: “A ceasefire violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any such violation.”