JERUSALEM (AP) 鈥� Israel鈥檚 military said Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between to end their war.
Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland between Iran and the United States, which Vice President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend, found themselves postponed as the fighting intensified. Mediators worked to reschedule the meetings crucial for starting talks over a permanent end to the Iran war, with much of the attention focused on Lebanon, regional officials said.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Lebanon rose sharply. Lebanon鈥檚 state-run National 太子探花 Agency reported at least 18 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, which the Israeli military said were ongoing. Israel, meantime, said four of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, including a lieutenant colonel. An explosive drone attack hurt another five, it added.
The Israeli military also said it struck targets in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley on Friday, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris was hit.
Continued fighting in Lebanon could unravel which calls for an immediate halt to military operations 鈥渙n all fronts, including in Lebanon,鈥� where Israel has been battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, and for ensuring Lebanon鈥檚 鈥渢erritorial integrity and sovereignty.鈥�
The deal aims to end the war and has reopened the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, while bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table over Tehran鈥檚 nuclear program. Iran’s stranglehold on the strait had all but stopped the flow of oil through the key waterway.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he signed the agreement to avoid 鈥渆conomic catastrophe鈥� in the U.S., after the war caused oil prices to skyrocket, made financial markets skittish and fueled inflation. After the signing of the agreement, more than 12.5 million barrels of oil were shipped through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night, the U.S. said.
US and Israel at odds over conflict in Lebanon
Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the agreement. Iran insists Israel must withdraw from the large swath of southern Lebanon it is occupying, but the wording of the interim deal doesn鈥檛 explicitly require that.
, who faces elections later this year, has refused to withdraw. He said Thursday that in a 鈥渟ecurity zone鈥� of southern Lebanon as long as 鈥淚srael鈥檚 security needs require it.鈥�
Trump, meantime, has been openly critical of Netanyahu’s recent moves, saying the day before the agreement with Iran was signed that 鈥渨ithout the U.S. there would be no Israel.鈥�
鈥淲ithout me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did 鈥� I have had a great relationship with Bibi,鈥� Trump said, using a nickname for Netanyahu. “Now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.鈥�
The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, came to Israel’s defense on Friday, however, noting the deaths of the four Israeli soldiers in a post on X.
鈥淚srael strikes when struck …鈥� he wrote. 鈥淐easefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting & killing.鈥�
The renewed Israeli attacks in Lebanon came as planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over their efforts to reach a permanent end to the Iran war were delayed.
Vance delays trip to Switzerland as talks postponed
U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday put off his trip to Switzerland where he had been set to lead the talks. The White House blamed logistical issues.
Two regional officials, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, said mediators were focused on calming the fighting in Lebanon. One said Iran pulled out of the Switzerland meeting specifically over the fighting and Netanyahu’s comments, describing them as violating the interim deal between Iran and the U.S.
Two other regional officials, similarly speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, described Pakistan as being 鈥渟tunned鈥� by Iran’s decision not to go to the talks Friday.
Those discussions in Switzerland were to shift the conversation toward sanctions relief, maritime security, nuclear-related measures, verification, sequencing and regional assurances, one of the officials said. Those are key to ensuring a final deal between Iran and the U.S. be reached.
Following the signing of the interim deal, the U.S. said it had lifted its blockade, allowing oil tankers to begin freely moving through after months of being unable to use the critical channel. Still, the tentative agreement has drawn sharp criticism from some in the U.S. 鈥� including a few congressional Republicans 鈥� who worry Washington ceded too much to Iran with relief from sanctions and a potential $300 billion fund to help with rebuilding.
In Iran, Supreme Leader seemed to endorse direct negotiations, saying in a statement on state media that 鈥渋t is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy鈥檚 opinion.鈥�
It was Khamenei鈥檚 first reaction to the agreement, and it was interpreted as a shift in Iran鈥檚 approach. Hard-liners, especially Khamenei鈥檚 father, , have long opposed direct talks, especially after the U.S. pulled out of between Iran and world powers.
The supreme leader has not been seen in public since he was wounded in a strike at the start of the war.
US defends deal with Iran
Vance, who was , has increasingly become the administration鈥檚 face of the conflict and has been outspoken in defending the deal.
On Thursday, he took the relatively unusual step of appearing at the White House to defend the initial deal to extend the ceasefire 60 days and allow for more negotiating 鈥� arguing that while it offers concessions, Iran first has to comply with U.S. demands.
Vance also offered a blunt warning to Israel, saying Trump was 鈥渢he only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.鈥�
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this story.
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