Iran suspends indirect US contacts, threatens wider pressure on key shipping routes

Dubai: Iran has halted the exchange of messages with the United States through mediators, state-linked Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, signalling a hardening of Tehran's position as diplomatic efforts to end the three-month-old war continue.

The report said Iranian negotiators would not resume talks until their demands regarding Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Gaza are met.

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According to Tasnim, Iran and the so-called Resistance Front — which includes Tehran's Shiite allies in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq — are preparing to escalate pressure on Israel and its supporters.

Tasnim said Iran and the "Resistance Front" — have agreed on a strategy to increase pressure on Israel and its allies, including through efforts to shut the Strait of Hormuz and potentially expand the conflict to other strategic maritime chokepoints such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, off the coast of Yemen, is another strategic maritime corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serving as a key gateway to the Suez Canal.

If the Houthis, Iran's allies in Yemen, open a new front in the conflict, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could emerge as a major target, raising concerns about disruptions to global shipping and trade flows.

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"Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The U.S. and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on X on Monday, referring to Israeli operations in Lebanon.

The conflict, launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also driven up global energy prices after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for the transportation of oil and liquefied natural gas.

"The immediate cessation of the Zionist regime's aggressive and brutal army operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the necessity of the regime's complete withdrawal from the occupied areas in Lebanon have been emphasized by Iranian officials and negotiators, and there will be no talks until Iran and the resistance's views on this matter are met," Tasnim added.