Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire on Friday after escalating fighting threatened the prospects of turning a temporary agreement to end the war with Iran into a permanent regional settlement.
Axios reported on Friday, citing a U.S. official, that Steve Witkoff, special envoy to President Donald Trump, will travel to Switzerland to participate in the first round of talks with Iran on a potential nuclear agreement.
The development comes one day after Vice President J. D. Vance canceled plans to attend the talks, which had been postponed amid renewed fighting in Lebanon. The escalation raised fresh doubts about negotiations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz to global maritime traffic.
Trump said he had spoken with Israel and requested that it agree to a ceasefire. According to a journalist from the network, Trump remarked, “Sometimes you need to calm down and use your brain,” while declining to clarify whether he had spoken directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A senior U.S. official said the ceasefire was scheduled to take effect at 4:00 p.m. local time in Lebanon following exchanges of fire. The official added that negotiators from the United States and Qatar reached the agreement with assistance from Iran.
Two Hezbollah sources and a senior Israeli official confirmed the ceasefire.
An Israeli official stated, “As long as Hezbollah does not attack us, for us it will not be a time of war,” adding that Israel would maintain forces in southern Lebanon, where it controls an area along its northern border.
Two Lebanese security sources said Israel carried out around 12 airstrikes during the first hour of the ceasefire, but no strikes were recorded after 5:00 p.m.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 47 people were killed and 79 injured in intensive airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon since midnight. The Israeli military said four of its soldiers were killed in an incident in Lebanon without providing further details.
The escalation in Lebanon could complicate negotiations, as ending hostilities there is one of the conditions of the broader U.S.-Iran agreement.
Unresolved Issues Remain
The memorandum of understanding signed last week by the U.S. and Iranian presidents postponed discussion of Iran’s nuclear program and other contentious issues, giving both sides 60 days to reach a permanent agreement or extend the temporary arrangement.
Preparations for technical talks in Bürgenstock, Switzerland, had reached an advanced stage before the White House announced on Thursday that Vice President Vance had canceled his participation.
A statement from Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry said the talks had been postponed but that Switzerland remains ready to facilitate them and that preparatory work is continuing.
The temporary agreement stipulates an immediate and permanent halt to military operations by the United States, Iran, and their allies on all fronts, including Lebanon.
Israel, which was not involved in the negotiations, has stated that it is not a party to the agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart during a phone call on Friday that the United States would be responsible for any violation of its commitments under the agreement, including maintaining the ceasefire in Lebanon.
New Israel-Lebanon Talks Under Discussion
Lebanon became involved in the regional conflict after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel on March 2, prompting Israel to launch a military campaign against the group and invade southern Lebanon.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the Israeli attacks but said the escalation would not derail efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire.
The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Aoun and emphasized the need for Hezbollah’s disarmament while reaffirming U.S. support for a fully sovereign Lebanese state.
The two sides also discussed a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in Washington from June 23 to 25.
According to the Lebanese presidency, Aoun stressed that Israeli attacks must cease through a comprehensive ceasefire, which Lebanon considers a fundamental prerequisite for progress in negotiations.
Trump Defends Temporary Agreement
The war began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran and has reportedly resulted in at least 7,000 deaths, most of them in Iran and Lebanon. The conflict also drove up global energy prices and fueled inflation.
Brent crude rose slightly on Friday but remained on track for a weekly decline of about 8% following the Lebanon ceasefire. Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz also increased after the signing of the temporary agreement.
Before the conflict, nearly one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the Strait of Hormuz. During the war, Iran effectively restricted access to the waterway.
An Iranian authority established to manage the Strait of Hormuz announced on Friday that ships would be exempt from transit fees during the 60-day negotiation period under the temporary agreement.
The memorandum signed this week provides for the easing of economic sanctions, the release of tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets, and immediate U.S. exemptions for Iranian oil exports.
It also grants negotiators 60 days to reach an agreement on the future of Iran’s nuclear program, unless the deadline is extended, and includes the creation of a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran along with other financial incentives.
Trump again defended the agreement following criticism in Washington, including from some Republican allies in Congress who questioned whether excessive concessions had been made to end a war that many Americans opposed ahead of the November midterm elections.
In social media posts, Trump wrote: “The war weakened Iran!” adding, “We did not come to the table out of desperation—Iran did. They are finished! We will use the remaining sixty days. They will not receive any money, not even ten cents!”
Reuters
