Iran Axes Peace Talks With U.S. as Trump Spirals

Iran on Monday suspended all peace talks with the U.S., just hours after President Trump claimed Iran “really wants to make a deal.”

Tehran placed the blame on Israel, which it said violated the trifold ceasefire agreement when Israeli troops captured Beaufort Castle, a 12th-century Crusader fortress in southern Lebanon, over the weekend.

Israel had previously used the castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif, as a base during its occupation of southern Lebanon between 1982 and 2000. The offensive also marked Israel’s deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than 26 years. On Monday, Israel issued an evacuation order to residents in southern Beirut.

Iranian state media reported that “there will be no dialogue” regarding U.S.-Israel-Iran peace efforts until the “aggressive and brutal operations of the Zionist regime’s army in Gaza and Lebanon” is quelled.

Tehran said it would completely close the Strait of Hormuz, as well as another narrow tradeway nestled between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula—the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—as a consequence.

This is a developing story.