Iranian officials are set to halt their participation in the negotiations with the United States over Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, according to Iranian state media.Tasnim, which is close to Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported Monday that Iran would halt “talks and the exchange of texts through a mediator” given the “continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes in Lebanon.” The U.S. and Iran have disputed for weeks whether the Israel-Hezbollah conflict is included in their agreed-upon ceasefire.President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social early Monday that “Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A.” He met with senior officials on Friday in the Situation Room, where he said he would make a “final determination” about an agreement, but he has not publicly commented since then about his decision. He has frequently hyped up Iran’s interest in making a deal even as its actions appear to contradict his comments.
The two sides appear to be focused on a short-term agreement that would allow for the Strait of Hormuz to gradually return to transit levels, given the damage its closure has caused to the global economy. The U.S. Navy has simultaneously also carried out a blockade of Iranian ports, effectively ensuring that Iran cannot escape the economic ramifications of its attacks on the rest of the world.
