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Israel continues to clash with Hezbollah in Lebanon, threatening the bilateral agreement with the US and Iran
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The anticipated talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland were abruptly called off at the 11th hour on Friday, clouding prospects for a lasting truce as a major escalation in Lebanon threatened the tenuous agreement to end the war.
The Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement shared with The Independent that planned talks later today between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been “postponed”.
“Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Bürgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present,” they said.
The announcement came hours after the White House confirmed vice president JD Vance would not be travelling to Switzerland, where he had been expected to meet Iranian negotiations to start discussions on implementing the 14-point memorandum.
The new deal is supposed to end the war on all fronts and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to pave the way for 60 days of talks on lingering disputes around Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions. But continued fighting in Lebanon threatens the agreement.
At least 18 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday, Lebanon’s health ministry said, while the Israeli military said four soldiers were killed in one of the deadliest single incidents since the latest escalation began.
As Donald Trump faces pressure over the terms of the agreement, he told Axios that there are “no limits” to his power and cast the deal as the “unconditional surrender” of Iran.
Iran’s top negotiator says in a post on social media that if talks fail, Iran will not hesitate to deliver a ‘crushing response’.
“In the event of bad faith, breach of contract, and excessive demands by the opposing side, we have no hesitation in delivering a crushing response to the enemy,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf writes.
“They were once slapped during the war; if they wish to tread that path again, they will receive an even harder slap.”
Donald Trump’s criticism of a past Iran deal has resurfaced amid mounting pressure over his memorandum to end the current war.
The president took to Twitter on November 24, 2013 to make his thoughts known as the US co-signed the interim Joint Plan of Action (JPOA) with allies.
“What a rotten deal we made with Iran. We get nothing (except laughter at our stupidity). They get everything, including delay and big cash!” he wrote at the time.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warns that Israel’s foreign relations will be “wiped out” unless there’s a change of government.
“In the past day, the U.S. Vice President got angry at a press conference over Smotrich and Ben Gvir, Foreign Minister Sa’ar cut ties with the European Union’s foreign minister, and President Trump said Netanyahu is showing irresponsibility in Lebanon,” he wrote on social media on Friday.
“if we don’t quickly replace this government, Israel’s foreign relations will be wiped out.”
Israel’s national security minister said “all of Lebanon must burn” after the IDF reported four of its soldiers had been killed in action in the south of the country.
Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote on social media: “With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not forfeit.
“All of Lebanon must burn. Our supreme duty is to protect the citizens of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF, and this commitment takes precedence over every other consideration.”
He adds: “Enough with the ping-pong. In the Middle East, you don’t win with measured responses and restraint—you need to go berserk. To obliterate. To crush the terror.”
The IDF reported earlier that four IDF soldiers fell in combat against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon last night.
Israel must stop its hostilities in Lebanon and the United States must put pressure on Israel, French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Friday.
Israel said on Thursday it would not rule out carrying out attacks beyond a military control zone in southern Lebanon in a challenge to the terms of a U.S.-Iran pact that called for the respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Barrot, speaking to French broadcaster franceinfo, said that France was still working to hold an international conference to mobilise support for the Lebanese army.
He also said France will not approve the lifting of UNSC sanctions on Iran unless it is satisfied that talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme meet its expectations.
Jean-Noel Barrot, whose country is a veto-wielding member of the UNSC, said there would be no stability in the region unless U.S. talks with Iran resolved questions around Iran’s ballistic missile programme and support for proxies.
“We need a radical change of posture by Iran,” he said.
The IDF says on X it recently struck Hezbollah targets in Bekaa Valley, a farming region in the east of Lebanon.
They say this was over repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah.
In a separate post, they say an IDF reserve soldier was severely injured in an incident involving an explosive drone in southern Lebanon.
Last night, four IDF soldiers were killed in action fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, they say.
The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed on Friday morning that the planned talks between the US and Iran have been “postponed”.
In a statement shared with The Independent, they say: “The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed.
“Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Bürgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present.”
Hezbollah says that clashes with Israel in Lebanon are ongoing.
It says its fighters ambushed an Israeli force advancing near Ali al-Taher hill in southern Lebanon, destroying three Merkava tanks with guided missiles and targeting troops with rocket and artillery fire.
Israel has said four soldiers were killed in one of the deadliest single incidents since the latest escalation began.
At least 18 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Friday, Lebanon’s health ministry said, while the Israeli military said four soldiers were killed in one of the deadliest single incidents since the latest escalation began.
The Lebanese health ministry said intensive airstrikes since midnight had hampered rescue and evacuation efforts, reporting a preliminary toll of 18 dead and 33 wounded that was expected to rise.
The interim agreement towards ending the war between the US and Iran faces pressure over Israel’s unilateral conduct in Lebanon. The deal binds signatories to ensuring a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. But Israel is not a party to the agreement.
Residents and Lebanese media said airstrikes and shelling hit several towns in the Nabatieh district overnight and into early Friday, in what Lebanon’s state news agency NNA described as one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks.
Israel said the strikes targeted what it described as Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure across several areas of southern Lebanon and were carried out in response to repeated ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed group.
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