Iran suspends talks, but Trump says deal expected next week
What's the story
Iran has suspended negotiations with the United States in protest against Israel's military actions in Lebanon. The decision was announced by the semiofficial news agency Tasnim, which said that "the Iranian negotiating team will suspend 'talks and the exchange of texts through mediators.'" This development comes amid a three-month-long conflict that has claimed thousands of lives, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.
Retaliation threat
Iran threatens to halt US negotiations
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Iran could retaliate if attacks continue. He said, "If these crimes continue, we'll not only suspend the negotiation..., but we will also stand against the Zionist regime." "If an agreement is reached...it will include a halt to attacks on all fronts, especially in Lebanon." The Iranian Foreign Affairs Ministry also held the US responsible for violations of the ceasefire against Iran and for the violations committed by the Zionist regime against Lebanon.
Ceasefire claim
Trump claims Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire reached
US President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives. He said no troops would be sent to Beirut and both sides agreed to stop hostilities. The Lebanese Embassy in Washington said that Hezbollah accepted a US proposal for a mutual cessation of attacks, with Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs ceasing in exchange for Hezbollah refraining from attacks against Israel.
Trump
Talks looking good, says Trump
Speaking to ABC News, Trump also expressed optimism about ongoing negotiations, saying they were "looking good, looking good." He stated that he believes an agreement with Iran to extend the existing truce and reopen the Strait of Hormuz will be reached within the next week. "There was a little glitch today, but I turned that one around very quickly," Trump said. The glitch he said was that the Iranians were upset about Israel's attacks on Lebanon.
Shipping route threat
Tehran considers full closure of Strait of Hormuz
Tasnim earlier reported that Tehran is considering a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil supply. Esmail Ghaani, head of Iran's Quds Force, warned continued Israeli operations could lead to blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The armed groups would "take action to activate other fronts and make the traffic situation in...Bab el-Mandeb Strait comparable to that of the Strait of Hormuz," Ghaani said. Oil prices surged over $6 per barrel after this report.