ISLAMABAD/TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday requested Pakistan to use its good offices for de-escalation, as Tehran halted talks with the United States in protest at Israel's incursion into Lebanon and threatened to open new fronts in the conflict. However, President Donald Trump insisted that talks with Iran were moving ahead rapidly, saying he had persuaded Israel and Hezbollah to de-escalate, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreeing not to send troops to southern Beirut and the Lebanese group promising to stop attacks.
In a telephone conversation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Araghchi, the regional situation was discussed. Araghchi expressed serious concern over ceasefire violations in Lebanon by Israel and Israeli government orders regarding a potential attack in parts of Beirut. Foreign Minister Araghchi appreciated Pakistan's constructive role in regional diplomacy and requested it continue using its good offices to help facilitate de-escalation and support efforts to maintain the ceasefire. Dar also conveyed Pakistan's serious concern and emphasised the importance of ensuring that the ceasefire is sustained to prevent any breakdown of existing understandings. According to the Foreign Office, both leaders agreed to remain in close contact.
Iran Suspends Talks with Mediators
Earlier, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had suspended dialogue with mediators in protest at Israel's expanding offensive in Lebanon. In further escalation, the US military said it had carried out strikes on Iranian radar and drone-control sites, while Iran targeted an airbase used by the US military. The latest exchange of fire coincided with Israel expanding its ground offensive in Lebanon, with Netanyahu threatening to push deeper into the country and instructing his military to strike 'targets' in a southern Beirut district.
The United States has backed Israel's operations against Hezbollah while still trying to reach an agreement with Iran to end the war it launched in late February, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and impose controls on Iran's nuclear programme. But Iran again said on Monday it had not engaged in any nuclear negotiations and insisted that Israel must halt its offensive in Lebanon before any wider deal could be agreed.
Iranian Demands and Threats
Both Iran's chief negotiator and the country's elite Revolutionary Guards demanded an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. The US naval blockade on Iran's ports and the escalation in Lebanon were 'clear evidence of US non-compliance with the ceasefire,' Iran's chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X. 'Iran considers crossing the red lines in Lebanon and Gaza to mean direct war,' the IRGC said in a message carried by state TV. 'In return, it is determined to carry out defensive operations by taking meaningful actions and opening new fronts, in addition to preserving the Strait of Hormuz equation.'
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaee, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, posted on X that the escalation of tensions in Lebanon would not be tolerated. 'The patience of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran has a limit,' he added. Later, Tasnim reported that 'the Iranian negotiating team is suspending dialogues and exchange of texts through mediators,' blaming Israel's actions in Lebanon. It also reported that Iran would continue to block Hormuz and, with its allies, 'activate other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait' in the Red Sea.
Trump's Conflicting Statements
Speaking to NBC, Trump insisted that Washington would maintain its naval posture but 'it doesn't mean we're going to go and start dropping bombs all over there,' adding: 'It's OK for me if they don't want to talk anymore, I don't particularly want to talk either - we've talked too much.' In further signs of escalation, the US military said it had carried out 'self-defence strikes' on Iranian radar and drone-control sites over the weekend - its third such wave in just over a week - after a US MQ-1 drone was downed. Shortly afterwards, the IRGC told state media it had targeted an airbase used by the US military in response. They did not identify the country hosting the base, but Kuwait's military said its air defences had intercepted 'hostile missile and drone attacks'.
In another sign of growing danger to shipping in the Gulf, the UKMTO maritime agency reported a 'large explosion' on a cargo vessel off the coast of Iraq, 'following a hit from an unknown projectile,' according to various media reports. However, a fresh diplomatic twist emerged when Trump said he had helped secure a halt to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, stressing in a social media post that talks with Iran were continuing at a rapid pace. 'Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump said on his Truth Social account, shortly after another post claiming Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop attacks.
'There will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way have already been turned back,' Trump said after a 'very productive' call with Netanyahu. 'Through highly placed representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop - that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.' However, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP that the group would not stop targeting northern Israel. Hezbollah 'has not committed to stop attacking' northern Israel, the source said, requesting anonymity, adding: 'Why stop these attacks that hurt Israel while it is bombarding Lebanon?'
International Reactions
Meanwhile, France has banned the display of Israeli offensive weapons at the 2026 edition of the Eurosatory international defence and security exhibition, organisers told AFP on Monday. 'Only Israeli exhibitors presenting anti-ballistic and anti-air defence systems are authorised.' Ahead of a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Lebanon, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres's spokesman said: 'We are deeply alarmed by the escalation in military activities across southern Lebanon and beyond.'
