Planned technical talks between the United States and Iran on their ceasefire agreement were postponed Friday, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said, fueling fears that the pact signed earlier this week could unravel.
Iran delayed dispatching its delegation to discuss the digitally signed deal because of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon, according to reports. Israeli strikes overnight and into Friday killed at least 18 people in southern Lebanon, and Iran-linked Hezbollah reported intense fighting.
Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said any discussions would be bound by Tehran’s “red lines” and that halting Israel’s attacks on Lebanon was a key demand. “If the enemy seeks to be excessive, we have proven that our fingers are on the trigger and we have no hesitation in giving a crushing response to the enemy,” Ghalibaf said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
The Israeli military said it struck Hezbollah infrastructure sites in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in response to what it called violations of the ceasefire by the group. It accused Hezbollah of continuing attacks on Israeli soldiers occupying positions in Lebanon. Earlier, the military announced that four of its soldiers were killed in combat in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said 18 people died in the intensified strikes. The state-run National News Agency reported three people were killed in an Israeli air raid in the town of Jamaliyah, near Baalbek.
The White House said Vice President JD Vance delayed a planned trip to Switzerland to lead a new round of talks with Iran after the signing of a memorandum of understanding. Vance previously defended the agreement while announcing a 60-day negotiation period between Washington and Tehran.
