Tehran Rejects Talks as Israeli Strikes Kill 31 in Lebanon

Photo: Collected

Iran has rejected reports of renewed nuclear negotiations with the United States as Israeli airstrikes continue across Lebanon and Iran.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, dismissed claims that Tehran had sought fresh talks. He said Iran will not negotiate while defending itself and insisted that its armed forces did not initiate the current conflict.

US President Donald Trump, who had previously encouraged Iranians to “take over” their government, signaled openness to dialogue with Iran’s leadership, while US-Iran tensions escalate.

A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran attempted diplomatic engagement twice — during the interrupted 2025 negotiations and again amid renewed US-Israeli attacks.

Retaliatory Strikes and Casualties

Iranian strikes have targeted Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beit Shemesh, killing at least nine people in central Israel.

In Lebanon, Israeli air attacks have killed at least 31 people and wounded 149, according to Lebanese authorities. Strikes hit the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon, causing heavy casualties and prompting hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

The Israeli military said the operations followed Hezbollah rocket fire into northern Israel. Israel’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir described the campaign as an “offensive against Hezbollah.”

In Iran, US and Israeli missile strikes targeted multiple cities. At least two people were killed in Sanandaj, central Iran, where residential buildings were destroyed. Other strikes in Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait killed one person and prompted warnings from the US embassy in Kuwait about ongoing missile and drone threats.

Rising Tensions and Global Impact

Larijani accused Trump of plunging the Middle East into chaos, saying US soldiers and families would bear the cost of American actions in support of Israel.

The conflict has affected global markets. Brent crude prices rose as much as 13 percent in early Asian trading before stabilising at $76.48 per barrel, while Asian stock markets opened lower, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index down about 2 percent and Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 1.5 percent. US stock futures tracking the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also fell roughly 0.7 percent, signalling volatility ahead.

The escalation reflects the widening conflict triggered by US-Israel attacks on Iran and Hezbollah’s ongoing retaliatory operations, raising fears of further regional instability.