Negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict have stalled amid renewed violence and the collapse of a ceasefire, according to reports on Monday. Tehran announced it would suspend all indirect communications with the U.S. through mediators, citing continued Israeli military operations in Lebanon as a primary cause.

Iranian state-affiliated news agency Tasnim reported that the Iranian negotiating team halted exchanges, stating that Lebanon was a key precondition for any ceasefire. It condemned what it called Israeli "crimes" in Lebanon and emphasized that the ceasefire had been violated on multiple fronts, including within Lebanese territory. Iran called for an immediate cessation of Israeli military action in both Lebanon and Gaza and demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied areas in the north of Lebanon before resuming talks.

The halt in dialogue coincided with an intensification of Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to press deeper into the country and ordered strikes on targets in southern districts of Beirut. Israel’s operations are aimed primarily at Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The United States has expressed support for Israel’s actions in Lebanon while simultaneously pursuing a diplomatic agreement with Iran intended to stop the broader war initiated by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran in late February.

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the U.S. of violating the ceasefire through both a naval blockade on Iranian ports and ongoing military activities in the region. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei reiterated that no substantive nuclear negotiations had taken place and stressed that Iran’s priority remained ending the war. He stated that a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon was an essential condition for any peace deal.

In response to escalating tensions, the U.S. military reported conducting "self-defense strikes" against Iranian radar and drone control installations over the weekend, marking the third such action within a little more than a week. These strikes followed the downing of a U.S. MQ-1 drone. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have retaliated by targeting an airbase used by U.S. forces, with Kuwaiti defenses reportedly intercepting missiles and drones linked to this exchange.

Efforts to negotiate have been mediated chiefly by Pakistan and seek to address both the ongoing conflict and Iran’s nuclear program. Iran insists on the release of $12 billion in frozen assets as a precondition for substantive nuclear talks, rejecting earlier U.S. claims related to its enriched uranium stockpile. Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly affirmed that the proposed deal clearly prohibits Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has expressed support for continued U.S. efforts to reach a ceasefire, highlighting the potential for a new regional security framework if a peace deal is achieved. Macron emphasized the importance of respecting Lebanon's sovereignty and called for robust support to Lebanese authorities amid the escalating conflict.

Additionally, reports indicate Iran and its regional allies remain determined to obstruct key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, vital arteries for global shipping. Iran’s Yemeni allied group, the Houthis, have previously attacked vessels in these strategic waterways, further complicating the regional security landscape.

Despite the ceasefire agreement established on April 8, sporadic incidents and military escalations have undermined peace efforts, leaving a negotiated settlement elusive as violence continues to mount across the Middle East.