Jerusalem, June 19: Talks between the US and Iran were called off Friday after intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, officials said, raising questions about an initial agreement to end the war in Iran. Israel and the militant group later agreed to renew their ceasefire, three officials said.
Word of the ceasefire came from two regional officials and a US official. The truce was mediated by Qatar, the US and Iran, the regional officials said. The three officials were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
A Hezbollah official said mediators attempted to implement a new ceasefire and that an agreement could be announced soon, but he stopped short of confirming it was in place. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately comment. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military has not received different instructions from the government. He said Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defence zone” and will continue doing so.
Iranian, US officials cancel travel to Switzerland
Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, according to three regional officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations behind the scenes. US Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.
Israel’s military struck targets Lebanon overnight, and Hezbollah reported intense fighting. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 21 people were killed, and Israel said four soldiers died.
The conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah is the most precarious part of the Iran deal. Neither Israel nor the militant group signed the agreement — but it is supposed to end their fighting, and Iran has signalled its willingness to risk renewed war in the region for the sake of its interests in Lebanon and its most important regional ally.
The interim deal has halted hostilities in Iran and the Gulf and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian attacks and threats all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway, creating a global energy crisis. But future talks are supposed to bring about a permanent end to the conflict, including addressing how to restrict Iran’s nuclear program — the core issue over which Israel and the US went to war on February 28.
Lebanon fighting risks deal
The Israeli military said strikes were ongoing on Friday after four of its soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added.
Israel then launched multiple strikes against “Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement, which accused the militant group of “blatant ceasefire violations.”
Later, the military said it also struck targets in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris was hit.
“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu said in a statement Friday.
Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks were in response to what it called Israel’s own violation of the ceasefire. It said the attacks came after Israeli forces attempted to reach the northern side of Ali al-Taher hilltop, a strategic point that overlooks Nabatiyeh and that Israeli troops have been trying to capture.
The fighting threatens to unravel the newly signed deal. Beyond ending the hostilities in Lebanon, the agreement calls for ensuring Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty.” It does not say whether that means Israel would withdraw from the large swaths of southern Lebanon it has occupied since Hezbollah joined the war in its early days by firing rockets and drones at northern Israel.
Iran has insisted Israel pull back, while Netanyahu said Thursday that forces would remain in a “security zone” of southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it.”
Israel’s actions in Lebanon have created a rift between Israel and the US, with Trump becoming increasingly critical of his close ally Netanyahu.
Strait is open but with new guidance
Oil tankers began freely moving through the Strait of Hormuz this week after months of being largely unable to use the critical channel. More than 12.5 million barrels of oil were shipped through the waterway on Wednesday night, the US said. Still, it is expected to take weeks or months for the normal flow of oil and gas to resume, even if traffic fully resumes.
The interim deal lays out that passage through the strait should be free for 60 days — as it was before the war. But the new Iranian authority charged with overseeing the waterway issued guidance Friday calling on ships to register with it — signalling Tehran likely intends to start charging.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority said Friday that “during the 60-day period, tariffs for security, safety and environmental services, as well as related Iranian insurance, will not be collected from shipowners and will be borne by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Much remains to be resolved
The discussions in Switzerland are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran maintains it is peaceful, though it has highly enriched uranium that could be used to build multiple atomic bombs, should it choose to do so, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Those talks are expected to be extremely difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months to negotiate.
LNG tanker Disha reaches Gujarat
The LNG tanker Disha arrived at the Dahej LNG Terminal in Bharuch, Gujarat on Thursday. The vessel successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, making it the first Indian LNG tanker to do so since regional tensions escalated more than three and a half months ago. (AP)
