Summary of this article
Iran said it will not join peace talks with the US in Islamabad until Israeli strikes on Lebanon stop.
Tehran denied reports that its negotiating team had already arrived in Pakistan’s capital.
The statement comes as Israeli attacks in Lebanon intensify despite ongoing ceasefire efforts.
Iran has said it will not join any proposed peace negotiations with the United States in Islamabad unless Israeli military operations in Lebanon are halted, according to an official quoted by Iranian media.
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, citing an informed source, dismissed reports in sections of the US media claiming that an Iranian delegation had already reached the Pakistani capital for talks with Washington.
The report said no such delegation had arrived and that Tehran had formally conveyed to Pakistani authorities that it would stay away from any dialogue until a ceasefire takes effect in Lebanon.
Reiterating Tehran’s position, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said any discussions intended to end the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US and Israel would depend on Washington honouring ceasefire commitments across all theatres, with particular emphasis on Lebanon.
The clarification came after earlier reports, including one by The Wall Street Journal, suggested that Iranian officials had reached Islamabad to open negotiations with US representatives.
The diplomatic uncertainty has unfolded amid a sharp escalation in Israeli strikes on Lebanon, even as mediation efforts continue around a two-week truce announced on Tuesday by the US and Iran, with Pakistan playing a facilitating role.
While Islamabad and Tehran have maintained that the ceasefire understanding extends to Lebanon, both Washington and Tel Aviv have rejected that interpretation.
According to the Lebanese Civil Defense, intensified Israeli attacks since Wednesday have killed at least 303 people and left 1,150 injured. Separately, the Lebanese Health Ministry said that the widened Israeli offensive since March 2 has resulted in 1,888 deaths and 6,092 injuries.
