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Tehran announced Monday it is suspending all back-channel communications with Washington — a move that immediately rattled oil markets and cast fresh doubt over any near-term deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran announced it is suspending all indirect communications with the United States, halting a back-channel dialogue that had been ongoing through mediators in an effort to reach a deal over Tehran's nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement, carried by the government-linked Tasnim News Agency, came hours after Israel struck Beirut's Dahieh district — a southern suburb and Hezbollah stronghold — prompting Iran to declare the ceasefire had been "violated on all fronts."
Tehran made clear that negotiations would remain frozen until Israeli military operations in both Gaza and Lebanon came to a full stop and Israeli forces completed a withdrawal from Lebanese territory it currently occupies. Iran also threatened to escalate its own response, including a potential push to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — a second critical chokepoint for global energy flows — in addition to the Strait of Hormuz.
"I think we've been talking too much. Going silent would be very good."
President Trump, reached by NBC News Monday, appeared unbothered by the breakdown, suggesting the pause in dialogue suited him fine. He said the development would not trigger renewed US military action, and insisted he retained leverage over Tehran. The White House did not issue a formal statement in response to Iran's announcement.
The immediate consequence was visible in energy markets, where oil futures rose sharply after the news broke. Gas prices, which had been easing from a recent peak of $4.56 per gallon as traders priced in a potential deal, reversed course. Analysts had already been warning that the physical oil market was approaching critical levels even before Monday's diplomatic rupture.
In Lebanon, international condemnation of Israel's expanded offensive has been mounting, with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan, the UK, and several European governments all calling for an immediate halt to the strikes and a return to diplomacy.
