Iran has halted communication with mediators after Israel threatened to bomb Beirut while continuing its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to reports from the semi-official Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim.

Both outlets are closely linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and their reports underline Tehran’s position that the fighting in Lebanon is inseparable from the broader ceasefire negotiations with the United States over the ongoing war. Israel and Washington, however, maintain that the clashes in Lebanon are distinct from the Iran war talks.

A regional official involved in the mediation process, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the discussions, confirmed that Iran ceased all communication on Tuesday.

This followed Tehran’s insistence that a ceasefire must be enforced in Lebanon before negotiations could continue. The official noted that Iran’s silence was deliberate and tied directly to its demand that the Lebanese front be included in the scope of the ceasefire arrangement.

The development comes at a time when tensions are escalating across the region. Israel’s threats to extend its bombing campaign to Beirut mark a significant escalation in its confrontation with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia that has been engaged in heavy fighting along the border.

Iran views these attacks as part of the same conflict in which it is directly involved, while the United States and Israel argue that Lebanon represents a separate theatre of war. This divergence in perspectives has complicated mediation efforts and raised doubts about the viability of ongoing negotiations.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed optimism about the eventual resumption of nuclear talks with Iran, though he acknowledged that the current status of negotiations remains unclear.

Rubio’s comments suggest Washington still hopes to bring Tehran back to the table despite the breakdown in communication over Lebanon. His remarks highlight the delicate balance between pursuing a diplomatic resolution and managing the immediate fallout from Israel’s military actions.

The situation underscores the fragility of the ceasefire process and the difficulty of reconciling competing narratives. Iran insists that any settlement must encompass Lebanon, while the US and Israel resist linking the Lebanese front to the broader talks.

This impasse has left mediators struggling to maintain momentum, with Iran’s silence signalling a hardening of its stance. The threat of Israeli strikes on Beirut has further inflamed tensions, raising fears of a wider regional escalation that could derail diplomatic efforts altogether.

Agencies