A planned meeting between the United States and Iran has fallen into uncertainty following continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The talks were scheduled to take place on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan, but Iran’s delegation has yet to leave Tehran. Abbas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Middle East Strategic Research Center, confirmed to Al Jazeera that Iran refuses to engage in any dialogue while the attacks persist.

According to Aslani, Tehran has made it clear that no discussions will occur in Islamabad as long as the situation in Lebanon continues. The ongoing conflict has pushed the diplomatic initiative into deep uncertainty. Beyond the violence, Tehran attributes the delay to a shift in the US position, noting that Washington has signaled a move away from a ten-point peace plan previously approved by the US president.

Aslani added that this change has created a renewed trust deficit among Iranians, reinforcing fears that the United States cannot be relied upon to keep its commitments.