Iran says no negotiations without Lebanon ceasefire, release of assets

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, said Friday there will be no negotiations with the U.S. without a ceasefire in Lebanon and a release of blocked Iranian assets.

Qalibaf wrote on the social platform X that two measures “mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented.”

“These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin,” he wrote.

A fragile ceasefire was implemented Tuesday between the U.S. and Iran, pausing military action that started when the U.S. and Israel carried out a joint attack on Feb. 28. Iran then shut down the Strait of Hormuz and retaliated against Persian Gulf allies.

Both the U.S. and Iran have accused the other of not adhering to the ceasefire deal. The Trump administration dismissed Iran’s claims that the deal applied to Lebanon, where Israel has carried out a barrage of attacks in its war with Hezbollah.

Qalibaf previously accused the U.S. of violating three clauses of Iran’s 10-point proposal, one of which included the attacks on Lebanon. The other two included a drone that violated Iranian airspace and an attempt to prevent Iran from enriching uranium.

“Now, the very ‘workable basis on which to negotiate’ has been openly and clearly violated, even before the negotiations began,” Qalibaf wrote Wednesday on X, referencing how White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the 10-point plan on Tuesday. “In such situation, a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations is unreasonable.”

Vice President Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are scheduled to hold talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered his Cabinet to negotiate with Lebanese officials in “light of repeated requests,” according to a statement.

“The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peace between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.

Heba Morayef, Amnesty International regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said that Wednesday marked the deadliest day in Lebanon since Israel first launched strikes again last month. The country’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, said his government will file a complaint to the United Nations Security Council concerning the strikes.