Iran to boycott Islamabad talks with US if Israeli strikes on Lebanon persist: Report
Iranian officials and media outlets said Tehran is
preparing a heavy response to Israel’s violent attacks on Beirut
APR 8, 2026
The Islamic Republic of Iran has told Pakistani
mediators that it will not attend the talks with Washington in Islamabad this
week unless there is a ceasefire in Lebanon, according to sources speaking to
the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on 8 April following massive and deadly Israeli
strikes on the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
The report coincided with official Iranian warnings to
maintain closure of the Strait of Hormuz and carry out missile strikes if
attacks on Lebanon do not halt. Israel killed and injured hundreds in its
assault on Lebanon and its capital on Wednesday.
According to the Lebanese Civil Defense, at least 250
were killed, and over 1,600 were injured.
“Iran has told regional mediators its participation in
talks with US officials in Islamabad is conditional on a ceasefire in Lebanon,”
the sources said. “It might also reverse its decision on reopening the Strait
of Hormuz,” they added.
“Iranian mediators have also warned they would
continue to carry out attacks on regional countries, including Israel, if
attacks on Lebanon and Iran by Israel continue,” the sources went on to tell
WSJ.
“An attack on the proud Hezbollah is an attack on
Iran. The field is preparing a heavy response to the regime’s savage crimes. My
dear people, the real fuel of the missiles is your united presence in the
streets,” Commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC), General Majid Mousavi, said.
A senior Iranian official also told Al Jazeera that
Iran will “punish” Israel in response to the aggression against Lebanon and the
violation of the ceasefire conditions.
According to a security source cited by Iran’s Fars
News Agency, Iran is preparing to carry out a deterrent operation against
Israeli military positions following a violent bombing campaign all over Beirut
and other parts of Lebanon.
The source stressed that in Tehran, the view is
gaining ground that the continuation of attacks despite an agreement on all
fronts indicates either that the US is unable to control Netanyahu or that
freedom of action has been granted to Israel by CENTCOM.
“The Lebanese have made sacrifices for us, and we must
not leave them alone for a single moment,” said Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson
for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
“Either a ceasefire on all fronts, or no ceasefire at all.”
The Israeli army renewed its attacks on Beirut on
Wednesday evening, striking a building in the Tallet al-Khayyat neighborhood
hours after killing at least 254 and injuring over 1,110 others in
the capital and elsewhere.
Israeli strikes also hit parts of Iran earlier on 8
April, after heavy Iranian missile strikes on Tel Aviv overnight.
The deadly wave of strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday
comes after the US agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, following US
President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a 10-point plan from Tehran as a basis
for further negotiations.
A round of negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, has
been planned for Friday.
Iran’s 10-point plan includes a US non-aggression commitment, Iranian
control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of uranium enrichment, full
sanctions removal, compensation to Iran, withdrawal of all US combat forces
from the region, and cessation of war on all fronts, including Lebanon.
However, a White House official told CNN that the
10-point proposal Iran released to the media differed from the one Trump
described as a “workable basis” for negotiations.
“Because of Hezbollah. They were not included in the
deal. That’ll get taken care of too. It's alright. [Lebanon getting bombed is]
part of the deal. That’s a separate skirmish,” Trump was quoted as saying by
PBS News White House correspondent Elizabeth Landers.
Meanwhile, Pakistani officials have called for
“restraint.”
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario