US denies report of secret talks with Iran for regional ceasefire

After Israel’s Channel 12 news reported that the United States and several Arab states were conducting secret talks with Iran to negotiate a ceasefire throughout the region, the U.S. officially denied their involvement in such alleged talks.

“No one has reached out to the United States about such a proposal, and we’re not in talks with any countries about such a proposal,” State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller clarified on Wednesday.

Miller went on to deny knowledge of the existence of such talks.

“I cannot speak to a hypothetical proposal that I’m not even sure actually exists in reality,” he said. “Obviously, we would welcome the end of conflict across the region.”

The Hebrew-language Channel 12 news report cited an unnamed Israeli official saying Israel had been informed about such talks, despite not being involved.

“We are currently in a position of power, a ceasefire will be on our terms, including a [Hezbollah] withdrawal beyond the Litani and the dismantling of all military Hezbollah sites in areas near the border,” he reportedly said.

Such a withdrawal of Hezbollah forces would be in alignment with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which was agreed to by the Lebanese cabinet at the end of the 2006 Lebanon War.

The resolution called for the removal of Hezbollah militants from south of the Litani River, besides UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Since last week’s ballistic missile attack from Iran on Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Cabinet have promised to conduct a forceful response, therefore, a ceasefire before such a response appears highly unlikely.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel’s response would be “deadly, precise and surprising.”

While U.S. President Joe Biden has expressed support for Israel’s right to respond to the Iranian attack, he has also said that Iran’s nuclear facilities should not be targeted.