Iran's top negotiator has dropped a bombshell: there's no reason to keep talking peace with the United States.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, said on Sunday that continuing negotiations with the US is pointless after Israel — a key US ally — bombed Dahieh, the southern suburbs of Beirut.
"The Zionists' aggression against Dahieh once again showed that the United States either lacks the will to implement its commitments or lacks the ability to do so," Ghalibaf wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"If you don't have the will or the ability to fulfil your commitments, then there's no point in talking about continuing down this path," he added.
The statement comes as international efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal — formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — have been stalled for years. Iran and the US have held multiple rounds of indirect talks in Vienna, but no breakthrough has emerged.
Ghalibaf, a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was appointed chief negotiator in 2023 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He's known for his hardline stance against the West.
Dahieh is a densely populated Shia Muslim area in Beirut and a stronghold of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group. The Israeli strike on Saturday evening destroyed several buildings and killed at least 12 people, according to Lebanese officials.
Israel said the attack targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot. Hezbollah hasn't confirmed the claim.
The strike threatens to escalate tensions across the Middle East. Iran is Hezbollah's main patron, providing weapons, training, and financial support estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
For the Philippines, the development is worrying. Thousands of Filipino workers are based in Lebanon — many as domestic helpers — and any escalation could put them in harm's way. The Philippine government has previously repatriated workers during conflicts in the region.
Ghalibaf's statement effectively puts the nuclear talks on ice. The US State Department hasn't yet responded to his remarks.
"The Zionists' aggression against Dahieh once again showed that the United States either lacks the will to implement its commitments or lacks the ability to do so."
Meanwhile, Iran has continued to enrich uranium at levels close to weapons-grade, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency reported in May that Iran's stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium could be further enriched to 90% — weapons-grade — within weeks.
The US and its allies have warned that time is running out for diplomacy. But with Ghalibaf now questioning the point of talks, the path to a deal looks narrower than ever.