US-Iran talks in Switzerland called off; Israel and Hezbollah agree Lebanon ceasefire

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire starting at 4 p.m. local time on Friday, a senior US official told Reuters.

The agreement was reached through US and Qatari mediation, with support from Iran, following an exchange of fire earlier in the day.

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rose to its busiest in two months after a deal to halt the US-Iran war, maritime trackers said on Friday.

A total of 25 commercial vessels crossed the newly reopened strait on Thursday, the highest number since mid-April, according to data from tracking firm AXSMarine - more than three times the average of just over seven a day since early March.

The spike came after Iran and the US agreed this week to re-open the crucial route under an agreement to end the war, but before the postponement of talks between the sides in Switzerland that had been planned for Friday under that deal.

The number of crossings on Thursday may be higher, as some ships turned off or manipulated their AIS transponder signals to avoid detection, AXSMarine said in a news release.

Oil prices edged back up and stock markets stabilised Friday after postponement of US-Iran peace deal talks.

Equities had largely rallied since the two countries last weekend announced plans to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, fuelling global relief after the war triggered energy shortages and surging inflation.

Friday saw oil prices back up slightly as Brent stood up 0.7 percent at $80.41 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate gained 0.3 percent to $76.85.

Wall Street was shut Friday for a US public holiday, while Europe was muted as London and Paris lost around half of one per cent while Frankfurt ended the week with a 0.2 per cent dip.

"(London's) FTSE 100 was supported by energy and healthcare (but) risk appetite stayed capped after US-Iran peace talks in Switzerland were called off," said Tickmill Group's Patrick Munnelly.

Lebanese state media reported an Israeli airstrike on the country's south on Friday, soon after a US official said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed a ceasefire.

The official National News Agency (NNA) said the strike targeted the area of Jezzine "a short while ago", adding that one of its journalists reported drones flying over the Tyre area.

An AFP correspondent also reported hearing continuous artillery shelling in the city of Nabatieh.

Israeli airstrikes and bombardments killed at least 47 people and wounded 97 others in Lebanon on Friday, according to the latest updated toll from the Lebanese health ministry.

The dead included at least seven women and two children and the figures were released as a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was due to start.

Mediators in the US-Iran conflict, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are due to gather for talks in Egypt on Sunday, Cairo and Islamabad said.

Pakistan's foreign ministry said that the four-way meeting would bring together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to "discuss regional developments and exchange views on issues related to peace, security and stability".

Egypt's foreign ministry said late Thursday that the meeting would be followed by expanded talks and a joint news conference.

The ministry initially said the meeting would be held in the Egyptian resort of El Alamein, before updating the location to Cairo.

The four foreign ministers last met in April on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.

Israeli air raid alerts were activated after the military said a “hostile aircraft incursion” was detected in the airspace over Zar’it in northern Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces said the alert was triggered following the identification of an unidentified aerial object, prompting air defence systems to monitor the area.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions along Israel’s northern border, where airspace violations and drone incursions have been reported intermittently.

The Iranian foreign ministry said Friday there was "no urgency" to meet US negotiators in Switzerland, as a memorandum of understanding to end the Middle East war had already been signed electronically.

"Given that the signing of the text of the MoU was done digitally on June 18, there is no urgency to hold the said meeting in Switzerland, but we are planning to hold a meeting in the coming days," the ministry's spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, said.

Israel’s military said it has struck more than 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since midnight, marking an escalation in its ongoing operations.

The latest update follows earlier reports in which the army said it had hit around 80 targets overnight and killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters.

The intensified strikes come amid reports of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah set to take effect at 4 p.m. local time.

A Gulf diplomat confirmed an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire was brokered on Friday by Qatar, the US and Iran, after deadly exchanges put immediate strain on the US-Iran peace deal.

"Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to halt hostilities in a deal mediated by Qatar, the US, and Iran," the diplomat told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The ceasefire is expected to go into effect on Friday afternoon local time, the diplomat said.

Iran has warned shipowners and captains planning to transit the Strait of Hormuz that they must obtain prior registration, permits and insurance before entering the vital waterway.

Tehran’s newly formed strait authority (PGSA) said all vessels must comply with its terms and conditions to ensure the “safe passage of commercial vessels”.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel on Friday of wanting "permanent war" following remarks from its far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir saying "all Lebanon must burn" after four Israeli soldiers were killed there.

"This is not a rant by a random genocidal lunatic. It's a public post by the national security minister of the Israeli regime. The genocidal death cult headquartered in Tel Aviv is a threat to all of humanity. It threatens all humans. Its only interest is permanent war," Araghchi said on X.

Hezbollah vowed to defend Lebanon's territory and people against Israeli attacks, accusing its foe of violating a ceasefire as fighting flared.

"The Islamic Resistance will remain vigilant against any aggression. Its fighters will defend their land and people," the Iran-backed group said in a statement, refuting Israeli accusations that it had violated the truce, and instead insisting "the enemy has never complied with any ceasefire agreement".

French police have banned a rally planned for Saturday by an Iranian opposition group outlawed by Tehran, citing a risk of clashes, in a decision organisers called "bogus".

The National Resistance Council of Iran (NRCI) said the demonstration against a wave of executions in Iran was cancelled "after business hours" on Thursday by the Paris police, "citing bogus reasons".

The police order said that "in the current particularly tense national and international context there is a serious risk that, during this demonstration, clashes may occur between activists holding opposing views which could seriously disrupt public order".

It noted that the gathering point and route of the planned march was due to pass "close to several public buildings and diplomatic missions".

The organisers, who have filed an emergency motion to reverse the ban, suggested it was linked to a call hours before the last-minute cancellation on Thursday evening between the French and Iranian foreign ministers.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot "did not mention this demonstration or request its cancellation", the ministry said.

The NRCI is the political arm of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI or its Persian acronym MEK), which is outlawed as a "terrorist" group by the Islamic republic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli troops will remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary,” vowing a “heavy price” for Hezbollah attacks.

In a statement on social media following the reported deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, Netanyahu said Israel would not tolerate attacks on its troops or territory.

He added that Israeli forces would stay in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as required to protect communities in the north.

Israel’s military said overnight strikes hit more than 80 Hezbollah targets, killing dozens of fighters. The attacks were carried out in Nabatieh and other areas of southern Lebanon, targeting fighters, command centres, launch sites and infrastructure.

The army said operations would continue in southern Lebanon, focusing on what it called Hezbollah’s “strategic underground infrastructure” in the Beaufort area. It also confirmed recent strikes on two command centres in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has confirmed that a Japan-linked tanker stranded in the Arabian Gulf has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is now heading to Japan.

The Liberian-flagged vessel, owned by Kyoei Tanker, carried three Japanese crew members.

Takaichi said all Japan-linked vessels with Japanese crew have now exited the Arabian Gulf, although 37 other Japan-linked ships are still awaiting passage.

Japan said it will continue diplomatic efforts to ensure safe and free navigation through the strategic waterway.

A total of 25 commercial vessels crossed the newly-reopened Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the highest number since mid-April, according to data from maritime tracking firm AXSMarine published on Friday.

The spike came after Iran and the United States agreed to reopen the crucial route under an agreement to end the war, but before the cancellation of talks between the sides in Switzerland that had been planned under that deal.

On June 18 "we observed 25 verified commercial vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz - the highest single-day count since 18 April and more than five times the average daily level recorded during the first ten days of June," AXSMarine said in a news release.

AXSMarine said crossings averaged 7.6 a day from the start of March.

The number of crossings on Thursday may be higher, as some ships turn off or manipulate their AIS transponder signals to avoid detection while passing through the strait.

Thursday's "spike came amid the largest AIS signal disruption event we have observed in the Persian Gulf since the conflict began, with more than 200 commercial vessels affected simultaneously by spoofing or abnormal AIS behaviour," it said.

The US Defense Department will ask Congress to approve around $80 billion to cover costs from the Iran war and other expenses, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg shared the request with lawmakers this week, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Pentagon leaders have said they risk running out of money for operations in the coming months unless Congress passes a new wartime spending bill, the newspaper said.

The military may need to cut back on training and troop deployment along the US-Mexico border as part of Trump's immigration crackdown, it added.

The Pentagon said last month the cost of the war with Iran had climbed to nearly $29 billion, although Democrats and other critics of the war have suggested the true cost - including damage inflicted by Iran - could be far higher.

Concerns over the war straining US weapons stockpiles also deepened last month after Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao cited the conflict as a reason for pausing arms sales to Taiwan.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the idea when asked in an interview if there was a crisis in munitions stockpiles.

Some of the $80 billion, if approved, would go towards munitions, personnel pay and ship operations, the Journal cited a source as saying.

Some lawmakers have said they will not vote to back additional funding for the war unless the conflict receives congressional authorization.

Democrats have accused Trump of violating the Constitution by starting the war without Congress's backing.

Under the War Powers Act, presidents have 60 days to obtain congressional approval after introducing US forces into hostilities.

That deadline passed weeks ago, and Democrats say Trump is now breaking the law.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Friday that "all of Lebanon must burn" after Israel's military announced the deaths of four soldiers there.

The Israeli losses were the first to be announced since a US-Iran deal was signed to end the Middle East war.

The agreement was also supposed to halt the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Washington has expressed frustration at Israel's ongoing campaign there.

"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 up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn," Ben Gvir said in a statement.

"For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep," he added.

"In the Near East, you don't win with measured responses and restraint."

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel must "go wild. Eradicate. Defeat terrorism."

"We must let fire speak... and open the gates of hell," he added, without explicitly mentioning Lebanon.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Friday that talks with the United States would remain bound by Tehran's "red lines".

"As we have shown in the past path of negotiations, we are steadfast in fulfilling the conditions and red lines set, and in achieving the interests of the Iranian nation," Ghalibaf said in remarks published by the official IRNA news agency.

"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."

France urged Israel to "respect" a deal signed between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East war, the French foreign minister said after overnight Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.

"This agreement provides for a cessation of hostilities, the Israeli government must respect it, and the United States in particular must exert all the necessary pressure on the Israeli government to ensure that this is the case," Jean-Noel Barrot said on FranceInfo radio.

Israeli airstrikes killed 16 people overnight in the Nabatieh region of southern Lebanon, state media reported, despite a peace deal in the Middle East war that includes Lebanon.

Lebanon's National News Agency said "the enemy committed several massacres" with a series of airstrikes after midnight that targeted residential areas in several towns, including Haruf, where at least eight people were killed.

They were the deadliest strikes since Iran and the United States agreed to halt the wider Middle East war.

Egypt's foreign minister will host his counterparts from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the Mediterranean city of Alamein on Sunday, Cairo's foreign ministry said.

Badr Abdelatty "will hold a quadrilateral meeting on Sunday with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, followed by an expanded session of talks and a joint press conference", the ministry said in a statement late Thursday.

The ministry did not specify the topic of the discussions, but the four countries have been involved in mediation efforts around the Middle East war.

Trump wants to turn his attention to North Korea now that he has an accord with Iran, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said after meeting his US counterpart in France.

"President Trump said that the time had come to pay attention to the North Korea issue," Lee told reporters in Seoul as he shared details of his meeting with Trump at the G7 summit.

Israel's military said Friday it was striking Hezbollah targets in several areas of southern Lebanon, despite a peace deal in the Middle East war that includes Lebanon.

"During the night, the army struck and continues to strike Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon," the military said in a statement.

Switzerland announced Friday that planned talks on implementing a US-Iran memorandum of understanding to end the Middle East war had been postponed, hours after US Vice President JD Vance's departure for the Alpine country was cancelled.

"The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed," the Swiss foreign ministry said in a message to AFP.

"Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing," it added, without providing a new date for the talks.

Iran's World Cup team will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming they are being subjected to travel restrictions during the tournament in North America, the Iranian football federation spokesman said on Thursday.

"Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran's national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organizers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff's plans," the spokesman said.

The US-Iran memorandum aimed at ending months of conflict across the Middle East has triggered a dramatic shift in global oil markets. Traders have rushed to unwind the geopolitical risk premium that sent crude prices soaring during the crisis, betting that millions of barrels of Middle Eastern oil will soon flow back into world markets. But while the immediate threat of a supply shock has eased, energy analysts warn that investors may be overlooking a more fundamental reality: the agreement is only a framework for future negotiations. Analysts said Brent crude is not going back to $60/barrel anytime soon as global oil inventories are historically depleted, and even a sizeable supply surplus may not be enough to send crude prices back to the levels seen before the war.

Iran will invite the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog to inspect its nuclear sites and begin identifying the locations of Tehran's enriched material, President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff told U.S. lawmakers in a private briefing Thursday, according to two people familiar with the call.

Senators are seeking to block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel funds until the Pentagon submits several overdue reports to lawmakers, including its investigation into a deadly strike on an elementary school in Iran at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war.

According to an annual defense authorization bill, filed this week, much of the travel funds for the defense secretary's office may not be spent until Hegseth submits "unredacted civilian harm investigations," including for the Feb. 28, 2026, strike on the Minab school. Officials have preliminarily said the U.S. was responsible for the strike, which was blamed on outdated intelligence.

Hezbollah said on Friday its fighters destroyed three Israeli tanks and that clashes were ongoing, hours after Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes in the south killed three people.

The fighting came a day after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, said on Friday that its fighters targeted "three Merkava tanks with guided missiles, which led to their destruction and setting them on fire".

This was after Israeli forces "consisting of an armoured platoon and an infantry platoon (tried) to infiltrate towards the northern side of the Ali al-Taher hills" - a strategic site overlooking the key town of Nabatieh.

"The clashes are still ongoing," Hezbollah said in the statement released in the early hours.

US Vice President JD Vance has postponed a trip to Switzerland for talks that were originally slated for Friday to discuss next steps on the US-Iran agreement on ending the war in the Middle East, according to the White House.

"The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the Vice President is not departing tonight," a White House spokesperson said late Thursday. "We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible."

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued his first public response to the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

He said he allowed the agreement to proceed after receiving assurances from President Masoud Pezeshkian that he would “protect the rights of the Iranian nation”.

The remarks are Khamenei’s first known reaction to the agreement, and come amid questions about his political standing following a period of relative absence from public view since taking office in March.

It also marks an acknowledgement internal divisions but confirming he had approved it despite having a “different view”.

Khamenei also accused US President Donald Trump of applying maximum pressure tactics, saying Trump had “out of desperation, used all kinds of leverage” to bring the deal about.

While noting that future engagement could include “in-person negotiations in the future” between Tehran and Washington, he stressed this “will not mean acceptance of the enemy’s position”, the BBC reported.

His rise followed the killing of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the 28 February US-Israeli strikes on Iran that escalated into a wider regional war.

President Trump did not directly address Khamenei’s comments but posted on Truth Social that he expects a ceasefire to take effect “on all fronts”, including between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The US has lifted its naval blockade on Iran following the signing of a landmark agreement aimed at ending months of conflict in the Middle East, marking one of the most significant de-escalations since fighting erupted.

US Central Command confirmed the move on X, saying it was carried out “in accordance with the President’s direction” and adding that while the blockade has ended, some US vessels will remain “in the general area”, signaling continued monitoring of maritime routes and regional stability.

Trump also urged regional governments to “maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations” to proceed, framing the deal as part of a broader stabilization effort across the Middle East.

The developments point to a fragile but fast-moving diplomatic shift: a formal de-escalation on maritime confrontation paired with cautious, conditional political engagement between long-time adversaries whose broader regional tensions remain unresolved.

Three Saudi-flagged very large crude carriers (VLCCs), previously “dark” for more than two months, have reappeared on automatic identification system (AIS) tracking, signaling a cautious return of vessel visibility in the Strait of Hormuz.

Data from MarineTraffic shows the VLCCs Jaham, Shaden, and Awtad resumed AIS transmissions on 18 June. Shaden is currently bound for Kiire, Japan, while Awtad is en route to Ulsan, South Korea. The destination of Jaham has not yet been disclosed.

The three tankers are collectively carrying an estimated 6 million barrels of crude oil, as per Kpler.

Even as Washington hailed the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tehran, much of the real negotiation is now taking place behind closed doors. According to CNN, the United States and Iran are quietly working on a series of confidential proposals that would spell out how the agreement will actually be implemented.

The discussions include sensitive details on the future of Iran's nuclear programme, CNN quoted US officials "familiar with the talks". The proposals are intended to transform the broad commitments outlined in the MOU into concrete steps, including verification measures and implementation timelines.

However, officials cautioned that the follow-up documents remain preliminary and have not yet been finalised.

Speaking to CNN on Thursday, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that at least some of the additional understandings — described by administration officials as "gentleman's agreements" that go beyond the signed memorandum — have been put into writing.

Still, the arrangements remain politically fragile. The latest developments illustrate the difficult path ahead.

Following the breakthrough that led to the signing of the accord by the the US and Iran aimed at ending the war and launching a 60-day window to negotiate a comprehensive peace deal, US Vice President JD Vance said both sides have so far honoured their commitments but acknowledged that the most difficult issues will be resolved during the next phase of talks.

US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday issued an extraordinary rebuke to Israeli critics of the Iran deal, warning them not to alienate their "only powerful ally" left in the world.

Vance told members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet to "wake up and smell the reality," amid growing tensions between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

"Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of state of the world superpower," Vance told reporters in a briefing at the White House. 

"If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world."

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has granted a 30-day grace period for individuals affected by exceptional regional circumstances to adjust their status in the country or depart without facing penalties.

The grace period runs from June 10 to July 9, 2026, and applies to all those who had previously been exempted from overstay fines after being unable to leave the UAE because of disruptions linked to exceptional conditions in the region.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he had approved a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war despite having a "different view", without elaborating. 

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the deal with Iran to end the war was a "victory" for the United States, rejecting mounting criticism including from some in his own Republican party.

"There is no 300 Billion Dollar payment to Iran by the U.S. That’s Fake News! All there is for the U.S. is Success, Lower Oil Prices, and Victory. Check out the Stock Market. Dumocrat propaganda at play!!!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

American forces on Thursday lifted their naval blockade of Iranian ports after more than two months of preventing ships from sailing from or to the Islamic republic, the US military said.

"Today, US forces lifted the blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas," US Central Command said in a post on X, adding that American warships "will remain in the general area to make sure that all aspects of the agreement are adhered to."

The Israeli military said on Thursday it will continue operating in southern Lebanon and "remove threats" beyond its so-called security zone, after the US and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war, including in Lebanon.

The military published a map of its declared "security zone" -- which runs some 10 kilometres (six miles) inside Lebanese territory.

It said troops would continue to be deployed there "to remove threats and strengthen the defence of Israel's northern residents".

Day 111: Iran leader approves US deal despite 'different view'

Day 110: Trump signs surprise interim deal with Iran to pause war

Day 109: Syria will do the job vs Hezbollah: Trump

Day 108: Trump says Strait of Hormuz will be 'completely open'

Day 107: Trump says Iran deal reached, Tehran claims victory

Day 106: Trump says deal to be signed Sunday, Hormuz to reopen