US-Iran diplomacy mired in uncertainty as Trump claims Lebanon de-escalation

Efforts to negotiate an end to war in the Middle East appeared in limbo on Tuesday, after Iran-linked media reported that Tehran had suspended contact with Washington over Israel’s expanding offensive in Lebanon, even as US President Donald Trump insisted talks were continuing “at a rapid pace” and claimed to have helped broker a halt to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

The conflicting accounts highlighted the fragile state of negotiations aimed at ending more than three months of conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reviving discussions over Iran’s nuclear programme.

The United Nations voiced alarm after Israel broadened military operations in Lebanon, warning that the escalation risked further destabilising the region and undermining diplomatic efforts.

“We are deeply alarmed by the escalation in military activities across southern Lebanon and beyond,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, told reporters.