Iran halts talks with U.S. over Israeli actions in Lebanon, Gaza

Key Takeaways

• Iran halts talks with U.S.
• over Israeli actions in Lebanon, Gaza toggle caption STR/AP Photo/undefined/AP WASHINGTON, DC - Iran says it's suspending talks with U.S.
• if Israel does not halt its expanding offensive in Lebanon Iran on Monday announced it was halting all communications with the U-S unless Israel stops its expanding military offensive in southern Lebanon, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim said.
• Referring to Israel, the news agency said that "given the continuation of the Zionist regime's crimes in Lebanon and considering that Lebanon was one of the preconditions for the ceasefire and that this ceasefire has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon, the Iranian negotiating team is stopping 'talks and exchange of texts through a mediator.'" Sponsor Message It demanded an end to the "aggressive and brutal army operations in Gaza and Lebanon" and called for Israel's "complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon." There was no immediate confirmation from senior Iranian officials that diplomatic messages – mostly relayed via Pakistan between the warring parties – were being suspended.
• The Iranian announcement came shortly after Israel's military warned residents of Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a stronghold of the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah — to leave ahead of planned air strikes.