Tehran: Iran has halted message exchanges with the United States via mediation in protest against Israel’s actions in Lebanon, local media reported on Monday.
“There will be no dialogue” until Iran’s demands on “immediate cessation” of Israeli operations in Gaza and Lebanon are secured, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Monday.
It added that Iran and its allies have determined “on the agenda to completely block the Strait of Hormuz, and to activate other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait,” in retaliation, Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that they had ordered the military to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs.
According to the statement, the order was given following repeated Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon, including rocket and drone attacks targeting northern Israeli cities.
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that the move came after the United States approved Israel’s requests to expand military activity in Lebanon, shifting from an initial focus on the country’s south to include airstrikes in the capital city.
Meanwhile, the United States has accused Hezbollah of undermining efforts to secure a ceasefire with Israel, saying the Iran-backed group is prolonging the conflict and refusing to halt attacks despite a US-backed proposal aimed at preventing further escalation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently spoke with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts between Israel and Lebanon, according to a US official familiar with the talks.
The United States proposed what the official described as a straightforward path to de-escalation.
“To advance those talks, the United States proposed a clear sequence: Hizbollah must stop all attacks on Israel. In return, Israel would refrain from escalation in Beirut. This would create space for gradual de-escalation and an effective cessation of hostilities,” the official said.
(IANS)
