Iran leader adviser says US responsible for Israeli actions in Lebanon

Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has used a dramatic image from Iran's World Cup match against Belgium to draw a parallel with the country's defense during the recent conflict.

Posting a photo showing goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and Iranian defenders scrambling to keep the ball off the goal line, Ghalibaf wrote: “This is how we protect our land.”

The image came from Iran's 0-0 draw against Belgium on Sunday, a match in which Beiranvand delivered a series of crucial saves to preserve a point for the Iranian side.

Iran has not returned to four-way negotiations with the United States despite ongoing mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan, according to a report by the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency.

Citing an informed source, Tasnim said talks involving Iran, the United States and mediators began at around 3 p.m. local time and were paused after roughly 90 minutes for consultations among the delegations.

However, the Iranian delegation declined to return to the talks after the break because of what the source described as President Donald Trump's "threatening and insulting" remarks.

According to the report, Qatar and Pakistan continued efforts to bridge differences between the two sides and have been exchanging messages between the delegations. Those efforts were continuing at the time of publication but had not yet produced a final outcome.

During the talks, the Iranian delegation reportedly protested what it described as US violations of commitments, particularly those related to the first clause of the memorandum of understanding.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday that Israel has no intention of withdrawing from its security zone in southern Lebanon, underscoring the continuing tensions surrounding one of the most contentious issues in regional diplomacy.

"Israel has no intention of withdrawing from the Beaufort, which is an integral part of the security zone in Lebanon and essential for the defense of the Galilee settlements and IDF forces," he wrote on X.

Katz added that the policy had the full backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that Israel could seek to derail the recently signed memorandum between Tehran and Washington, while cautioning that major technical issues in the agreement remain unresolved.

"There is always an Israel waiting in the corner, ready to sabotage the process as soon as it finds the opportunity," Fidan told Turkey's Anadolu Agency.

He said negotiators should also be prepared for delays and periodic deadlocks as they work through the details of the agreement.

"These are important issues. It may not be easy to immediately resolve their technical details. We may see deadlocks from time to time. We need to be prepared for that," he said.

Esmail Qaani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, has warned Israel that it risks repeating its 2000 withdrawal from southern Lebanon if it continues its current course.

"If you do not retreat from your current path in southern Lebanon, the catastrophe of 2000 will be repeated," he wrote in a message addressed to the Israeli military.

"Take this warning seriously and make a wise decision," he added.

The reference to 2000 alludes to Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon after an 18-year military presence, an event Hezbollah and its supporters continue to portray as a major strategic victory.