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Israel strikes Lebanon as US-Iran talks canceled, Vance postpones Switzerland trip

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Israel's military conducted strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, citing repeated ceasefire violations.
  • The strikes occurred despite a US-Iran agreement aimed at ending hostilities across multiple fronts.
  • US-Iran talks in Switzerland were canceled, and Vice President JD Vance postponed his trip, casting uncertainty on the diplomatic process.

Israel's military announced it is striking Hezbollah targets in several areas across southern Lebanon, alleging repeated violations of the ceasefire by the Iran-backed group. The strikes, which occurred throughout Thursday night, targeted “Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure sites,” according to a statement on Telegram.

strikes on “Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure sites” came after “repeated violations of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed grup.

— Israel's militaryJustifying the military actions in southern Lebanon.

These actions come despite a US-Iran agreement that stipulates an end to the war on all fronts in the Middle East, including Lebanon. Lebanese state media reported that three people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah confirmed fresh clashes with the Israeli military on Thursday.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts appear to be faltering. Talks between the US and Iran, scheduled for Friday in Switzerland to discuss the implementation of a 14-point agreement to end their war, have been canceled, Switzerland's foreign ministry announced. US Vice President JD Vance has also postponed his trip to Switzerland, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the next steps.

nothing has been confirmed

— Iran's Tasnim news agencyRegarding the Iranian delegation's travel plans for the Switzerland talks.

Iran's Tasnim news agency stated that “nothing has been confirmed” regarding the Iranian delegation's travel plans. A White House spokesperson expressed the US's eagerness to commence “technical talks as soon as possible.” In a separate development, Vance had previously criticized Israeli leaders over their approach to Iran, suggesting Donald Trump was Israel's only remaining ally.

the US looked forward to starting “technical talks as soon as possible”.

— White House spokespersonExpressing readiness for further diplomatic discussions.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, indicated his approval of the deal with the US, despite having a "different view." He stated his permission was granted due to assurances from the Iranian president regarding the protection of the nation's rights and the resistance front. Khamenei claimed Trump had used "all kinds of levers" out of desperation to secure the deal, which the US president has framed as a victory averting a "worldwide depression."

Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time”.

— JD VanceCriticizing Israeli leaders and highlighting Donald Trump's stance on Israel.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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