Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, on Monday (June 1), blamed the slow pace of efforts to end the U.S.-Iran conflict on a lack of trust, contradictory positions from Washington and continued Israeli attacks in the region.

Baghaei said that if contradictory messages were part of a U.S. negotiating tactic, they would not work with Iran, while if they reflected disarray within the U.S. administration, Washington should reach a clear and definitive position as soon as possible.

He added that Tehran viewed Israeli actions in the region, including in Lebanon, as inseparable from those of the U.S., adding that any agreement to end the regional conflict would have to include implementation of the Lebanon ceasefire.

Baghaei's comments on Lebanon followed an order by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the military to resume strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh.

The U.S. and Iran have sporadically exchanged strikes since a ceasefire took effect in early April, while Pakistan has been mediating efforts to secure a more durable agreement. An exchange of strikes last Thursday was described in similar terms by each side.

The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also caused global economic pain by pushing up energy prices since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global supply route for oil and liquefied natural gas.

(Production: Melory Ghazi)

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

TEHRAN, IRAN (JUNE 1, 2026) (WANA - No use VOA Persian. No use BBC Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International, No Use Radio Farda, No Use Israel)

1. IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE, WALKING TO PODIUM, JOURNALISTS SEATED

2. BAGHAEI AT PODIUM, JOURNALISTS SEATED, CAMERAMEN FILMING

3. CAMERAMEN FILMING, NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH SCREEN IN BACKGROUND

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

“In such a situation, and under circumstances in which the opposing side constantly changes its positions, puts forward new or contradictory demands, and issues different, conflicting, and inconsistent media messages, it is natural that this situation leads to a prolongation of the negotiation process. To this must be added the disruptive actor that has always obstructed any process aimed at reducing tensions in our region, namely the Zionist regime. One of the clear reasons for the escalation of the crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon in recent days can be nothing other than the undermining of any possible prospect for diplomatic processes to lead to some form of improvement in the situation. And this responsibility again lies with the United States. We cannot view the United States and the Zionist regime as two separate and independent actors operating in isolation from one another.”

5. ONGOING NEWS CONFERENCE

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

“One of the obstacles to negotiations with the current U.S. administration is precisely the frequent changes in positions and the contradictory and conflicting statements. There are, of course, different ways to describe these shifts in positions. Naturally, whenever one side changes its position, the other side must also apply its own views and considerations accordingly. It is not possible for one side to repeatedly introduce new demands or positions while expecting the other side simply to accept them. This situation undoubtedly disrupts the process and makes the path longer. This is the minimum that can be said about the outcome of this approach in negotiations.”

7. ONGOING NEWS CONFERENCE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

“We emphasized and still emphasize this point that the ceasefire in Lebanon is an inseparable part of any ceasefire and any final agreement to end the war.”

9. BAGHAEI AT PODIUM, JOURNALISTS SEATED

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

“ These U.S. actions are not merely violations of the ceasefire; they constitute an act of aggression and a violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter. They entitle and authorize us, in line with the right of self-defense, to undertake corresponding defensive measures. Today, we explicitly announced that we targeted the source of the aggression."

11. JOURNALISTS SEATED, CAMERAMEN FILMING, NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH SCREEN IN BACKGROUND

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON, ESMAEIL BAGHAEI, SAYING:

"The Kuwaiti government is obliged under international law and under relevant international conventions to provide consular access for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Our citizens’ rights are fully clear under international legal regulations, and our clear expectation from the Kuwaiti authorities is that they clarify the situation as soon as possible and provide consular access from our embassy to detained Iranian citizens."

13. JOURNALISTS SEATED, CAMERAMEN FILMING, NEWS CONFERENCE SEEN THROUGH SCREEN IN BACKGROUND

14. BAGHAEI LEAVING PODIUM