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Earlier in the day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of constantly shifting its negotiating stance and condemned what he called US aggressive action, reports Reuters.

“We insist that a ceasefire in Lebanon is an essential condition for any deal aimed at ending the war,” Baghaei said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also raised Lebanon, where another ceasefire is in place, as a stumbling block. “Violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts. The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” he said on X.

The US military said it had at the weekend struck Iranian air defences, a ground control station and two drones that were threatening ships after “aggressive Iranian actions”, including shooting down a US drone over international waters.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said yesterday it had targeted an air base used by the US in response to an attack on southern Iran.

It did not identify the base, but Kuwait activated air defences yesterday and denounced Iranian missile and drone attacks, which it said were undermining efforts to reduce tensions in the region.

US forces intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait late on Sunday, the US military said, adding that no American personnel were harmed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had ordered troops to move further into Lebanon in the battle against Hezbollah.

Netanyahu yesterday ordered the military to attack targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.