Iran suspended the exchange of messages with the United States through mediators, against the backdrop of the Israeli escalation in Lebanon. The semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency reported, “Given the continuation of Israeli crimes in Lebanon, and since the Lebanese file was part of the preconditions for a ceasefire, Iran decided to stop exchanging talks and messages with the United States through the mediator.” The agency quoted Iranian officials and negotiators as emphasizing the necessity of an immediate cessation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and a complete withdrawal from the occupied territories in Lebanon.