Iran calls peace talks 'useless' after Israel strikes Beirut suburbs, threatening US deal

Attack on Dahiyeh

Israel carried out airstrikes on the Dahiyeh district in southern Beirut on Sunday afternoon, targeting what it described as Hezbollah positions. The strikes, which also hit the Ghobeiry area according to Lebanon's National News Agency, came after Hezbollah fired three projectiles toward northern Israeli communities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation was a response to the launches, adding that "Israel will not tolerate any attack on its territory".

Lebanese authorities reported at least 3 dead and 15 wounded, with significant damage to residential and commercial buildings. The attack appeared to be a surgical strike using two missiles, security sources told one newspaper.

Iran calls negotiations useless

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator in the US-Iran talks, warned that continuing the peace path was impossible if the United States could not or would not honour its commitments. "The Zionist aggression against Dahiyeh has once again shown that the US lacks the will or capacity to fulfil its obligations," he wrote on X.

“If there is no will or capacity to honour the commitments, it is impossible to speak of continuing on this path.”

General Mohammad Jafar Assadi, deputy commander of Iran's military high command, echoed the threat and declared that "these crimes will not go unanswered". The same pattern emerged a week earlier, when an Israeli strike on Dahiyeh prompted Iran to retaliate with attacks on Israel.

Peace deal in doubt

Donald Trump had said earlier that a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran would be signed on Sunday, with the Strait of Hormuz reopening immediately afterwards. Iran had signalled a deal was close but not yet finalised. The country has insisted for months that any ceasefire arrangement must also end Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

The two sides have released contradictory information about the agreement's content. Washington has said Iranian control of the Strait is unacceptable, while Tehran insists it will maintain that control. The war erupted on 28 February 2026 when the US and Israel attacked Iran, triggering Hezbollah's missile strikes on 2 March and a wider regional conflict now in its fourth month.

Mediation efforts

A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday to help finalise the accord, a diplomat familiar with the matter told AFP. The delegation's visit reflects ongoing mediation efforts even as Iran's negotiators publicly reject the talks.

The escalation leaves a potential ceasefire hanging. Iran's demand to link the Lebanon front with the broader pact remains a central obstacle, and Sunday's strike has made that condition even harder to satisfy.