By Middle East correspondent Matthew DoranTue 2 Jun 2026 at 12:13amTue 2 Jun 2026 at 12:13amSmoke rises in Lebanon following an air strike on Monday, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border. (Reuters: Amir Cohen)In short:Iranian state media is reporting that the country's government has halted negotiations with the United States on an end to the war over Israel's conduct in Lebanon.Earlier Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had ordered strikes on Dahiyeh in Beirut's southern suburb.Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified in recent days. Iranian state media is reporting that the country's government has halted negotiations with the United States over an end to the war in the Middle East, in protest over Israel's conduct in Lebanon.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had ordered strikes on Dahiyeh in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, long considered the stronghold for the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.But by 4:30pm Monday local time those strikes had not begun.Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified in recent days, with deadly Israeli strikes on a number of cities and towns in southern Lebanon and an expansion of its ground invasion.In return, Hezbollah launched volleys of rockets and drones at communities in northern Israel.That was despite a ceasefire technically being in force in Lebanon, announced by US President Donald Trump in mid-April.The Tasnim news agency has reported that Iran has stopped talks and the exchange of messages through mediator Pakistan.It said Iran viewed an end to fighting in Lebanon as a precondition for any deal to end the broader regional war.The report followed comments from the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baghaei that Israel was trying to undermine diplomatic negotiations.He said that the US was responsible for that, and that Iran didn not see Israel and the US as separate.