Trump Insists Iran Talks Continue At ‘Rapid Pace’ After Iranian State Media Said They Were Suspended

SOURCE: CNN

• Status of talks: Iran has suspended talkswith the US in protest over Israel’s actions in Lebanon, which Tehran said “violated” the ceasefire, according to semi-official Iranian state media. US President Donald Trump contradicted this, saying that talks continue at a “rapid pace.”
• In Lebanon:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Israeli military to strike Beirut’s Dahieh district, a stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah. Trump said no Israeli troops will be going to Beirut after he held a call with Netanyahu. The US president also said he spoke with Hezbollah leadership, “and they agreed that all shooting will stop.”
• Threat on another strait:Iranian media also reported that Iran and its allies are considering the “activation of other fronts,” including the Bab al-Mandab strait, in response to Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Closure of the waterway, at the southern end of the Red Sea and a critical gateway to the Suez Canal, could significantly disrupt global trade.

Israeli lawmakers from across the political spectrum slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire in Lebanon.

Far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, a key member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, said it was time to “remove the constraints on our fighters” and intensify attacks on Hezbollah.

“Now is the time to tell our friend, President Trump, ‘No’,” Ben Gvir said in a statement on social media on Monday.

Avigdor Liberman, a right-wing opposition lawmaker who previously served as Netanyahu’s defense minister, said, it was “unacceptable” that Israel had not struck Beirut. “Soldiers are wounded, killed, and Israel’s prime minister is waiting for approval from Trump before bombing Dahieh,” Liberman said referring to a predominantly Shia Muslim suburb in the south of Beirut.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described the situation in Israel as a “government that has lost control of Israeli sovereignty.”

Oil prices rose sharply after the news because the closure of the strategic waterway could significantly disrupt global trade and further roil oil markets.

Bab al-Mandab is a critical gateway to the Suez Canal, linking Europe and Asia through one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Just 29 kilometers (18 miles) across at its narrowest point, it is where ships have previously come under attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Nearly 15% of global maritime trade passes Bab al-Mandab. The previous disruptions to shipping between 2023 and 2025 probably cost some $20 billion a year, according to industry estimates.

The Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned residents of northern Israel and military settlements on Monday that they should leave the area if Israel carries out a threatened attack on Beirut and its southern suburbs.

In a statemen, the headquarters accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of threatening to bomb Beirut’s Dahieh district and the Lebanese capital and of issuing evacuation warnings to residents.

“In light of the regime’s repeated violations of the ceasefire, we warn residents of the northern areas and military settlements in the occupied territories that, should this threat be carried out, they should leave the area if they do not wish to be harmed,” the statement said.

Earlier Monday, Netanyahu said, “There will not be a situation in which Hezbollah attacks our cities and citizens while the terrorist headquarters in Dahieh remains out of bounds.”

“We are continuing to deepen our operational activity on the ground in southern Lebanon and are eliminating Hezbollah strongholds,” he added in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X that “a ceasefire between Iran and the United States constitutes, without any ambiguity, a comprehensive ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon.”

“Any violation of this ceasefire on one front shall be considered a violation of it across all fronts. The United States and Israel bear responsibility for the consequences of any breach of the truce,” Araghchi added.

US officials, including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, have maintained that Lebanon was never included in the US–Iran ceasefire agreement.

President Donald Trump said Monday that talks are continuing with Iran, despite Iranian state media claiming earlier in the day that Tehran had suspended talks over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon.

“Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Previously, Trump and the administration have said they commonly receive conflicting messages from Iran publicly and privately.

Shortly before his promise that talks were continuing, Trump had also posted on Truth Social that he had a productive conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the Israeli prime minister said he would not be sending troops to Beirut.

President Donald Trump said Monday he concluded a “very productive call” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose expanding operation in Lebanon is threatening to upend ongoing peace talks with Iran.

“There will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also revealed he’d held — “through highly placed Representatives” — a call with Hezbollah leadership, “and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”

Before his call with Trump, Netanyahu on Monday had ordered Israel’s military to strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district, a Hezbollah stronghold.

The order came amid a broadening wave of Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon after Netanyahu said Israel would deepen its offensive against Hezbollah. Iran media said Monday that the country’s officials were suspending peace talks with the US due to Netanyahu’s actions in Lebanon.

The United Nations said Monday it was “deeply alarmed” by Israel’s increased strikes in Lebanon, and the World Food Program warned of a “deepening humanitarian emergency” in the country.

“We are deeply alarmed by the escalation in military activities across southern Lebanon and beyond,” Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said Monday. “We urge all actors to respect the cessation of hostilities and avoid further escalation.”

The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) said millions of people in Lebanon are facing a “critical combination” of mass displacement and soaring food prices.

“More than one million people remain displaced, while soaring prices, lost incomes and strained markets are pushing food further out of reach for vulnerable families,” the WFP said in a statement Monday. “WFP has rapidly scaled up its response nationwide, but the situation remains highly fragile.”

The WFP said it is helping an average of almost 150,000 people per day with hot meals, ready-to-eat rations and food parcels for families sheltering in displacement sites.

The humanitarian organization said its latest food security analysis shows some 1.24 million people — nearly one in four of the total Lebanese population — face acute food insecurity. “Displacement, rising food and fuel prices, market disruptions, and broader economic shocks are driving the crisis,” it warned.

President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran hasn’t yet informed the US it is cutting off talks, but suggested he had no problem waiting out Tehran until it agrees to an acceptable deal.

“I think we’ve been talking too much, if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good,” he told NBC News in a phone interview.

He said the development did not mean the US would restart full-scale military operations.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there,” he told NBC. “We’ll just go silent. We’ll keep the blockade. Blockade is a piece of steel.”

Trump, who has insisted he feels no pressure to reach a deal quickly, maintained he had leverage over Tehran.

“I think I can wait as long as they want,” he said.

during the truce, while the militant group has said it is attacking Israeli forces in response to continued attacks.

Last week, an Israeli source told CNN that the Israeli military is expanding its operations in Lebanon, including renewing strikes in the capital Beirut, to counter threats by the Iran-backed militant group.

Here’s what to know about Hezbollah:

Origins: Hezbollah emerged from the rubble of Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, when Israeli forces took almost half of Lebanon’s territory, including Beirut. Israel’s operation resulted in more than 17,000 deaths, according to contemporary reports and an Israeli inquiry into a massacre at the Beirut refugee camp of Sabra and Shatila, one of the bloodiest events in the region’s recent history.

Rise to prominence: A band of Shia Islamist fighters trained by Iran burst onto Lebanon’s fractious political landscape. Eventually, in 1985, militants coalesced more formally around a newly founded organization: Hezbollah. The group made no secret about its ideological allegiance to Tehran and received a steady flow of funds from the Islamic Republic. It became a participant in Lebanon’s civil war, which ended in 1990, and led a fight against Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon, ultimately driving them out in 2000.

Terror designation: In Lebanon, Hezbollah is officially considered a “resistance” group tasked with confronting Israel, which Beirut classifies as an enemy state. Much of the Western world has designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Battered condition today: Hezbollah, once seen as a potent deterrent against a direct confrontation with Iran, now appears barely a shadow of the force it once was. Battered by years of relentless Israeli assaults, it has seen its most senior leaders assassinated, its southern Lebanese strongholds overrun and its fearsome missile arsenal depleted.

As Israel escalated its attacks in Lebanon over recent days, several Middle Eastern and European countries have condemned the military action, calling instead for diplomacy and an end to the bloodshed.

Israel says it has increased its strikes on Lebanon in response to ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, while the Iran-backed militant group has said it is attacking Israeli forces in response to continued Israeli attacks.

Here’s a round-up of some of the recent reaction:

Lebanon: Earlier today, before Iranian media reported that Iran was suspending talks with the US, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel has “continued its military operations and the shelling of villages under the pretext of self-defense.” He said Lebanon was committed to diplomacy, adding: “it will not solve the problem in a matter of moments; rather, it is a process that requires time, and we have no other choice.”

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned today what it called “Israeli aggression” against Lebanon and rejected the “assault” on Lebanon’s sovereignty. It called on the international community to “shoulder its responsibilities in stopping this aggression and putting an end to Israeli military movements aimed at expanding” into Lebanon.

Qatar: In a post yesterday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned “persistent Israeli assaults on Lebanon,” the expansion of Israel’s ground incursion, and “the targeting of civilians.” It called Israel’s actions a “dangerous escalation,” an “egregious violation” of Lebanon’s sovereignty, and “an open breach of international humanitarian rules-based order.”

Jordan: The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also accused Israel of targeting civilians and violating Lebanon’s sovereignty. It stressed its “absolute support for Lebanon, its security, stability, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens,” and called for “concerted efforts to provide humanitarian aid.”

Turkey: In a statement today, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said that it “condemn(s) in the strongest terms Israel’s expanding occupation in Lebanon” and called on the international community to “take immediate and concrete steps to bring an end to Israel’s attacks and occupation.”

United Kingdom: British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon “has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy. It must end.” She called for Hezbollah to end its attacks on Israel and disarm, and for all sides to “respect the ceasefire and engage with negotiations in good faith.”

Portugal: The Portuguese Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s actions in Lebanon, saying it is “essential to put an end to the attacks and ensure respect for the ceasefire.” It said it “encourages that the ongoing negotiations continue and lead to full respect for the ceasefire.”

Germany: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Israel’s advance into Lebanon “gives cause for serious concern,” but called it a “reaction to continued attacks by Hezbollah on the north of Israel that must finally stop.” He called for “a sustainable diplomatic solution with a view to protecting civilians on both sides of the Blue Line.”

Israel’s military is launching “targeted strikes” deeper into Lebanon, seeking to damage the capabilities of the Iran-backed para-military group Hezbollah, a spokesperson said.

“We are working to tighten the noose around Hezbollah’s capabilities and continue to deepen targeted strikes,” Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya said in a post on X on Monday.

She said the historic fortress of Shqif, or Beaufort Castle, which the IDF captured over the weekend, was of “major operational importance” in the campaign to weaken Hezbollah.