Israel's military is conducting strikes against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, citing ceasefire violations. Reports indicate that three people have been killed in these strikes amid ongoing clashes.
Key points
Israel is attacking Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
Strikes are in response to ceasefire violations
Three casualties reported from the strikes
Hezbollah engaged in clashes with Israeli military
Mentioned in this story
HezbollahIsraelLebanon
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Welcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East.
Israel’s military says it is attacking Hezbollah in several areas across southern Lebanon and has been striking throughout Thursday night.
It said on Telegram that the strikes on “Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure sites” came after “repeated violations of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed grup.
It was earlier reported that three people had been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media. Hezbollah had said its fighters were engaged in fresh clashes with the Israeli military on Thursday.
The strikes have occurred despite the US-Iran agreement stipulating an end of the war on all fronts in the Middle East, including Lebanon.
Meanwhile, talks set to take place on Friday between the US and Iran on implementing the 14-point agreement to end their war have been cancelled, Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced.
Vice-president JD Vance has postponed his trip to Switzerland, casting uncertainly over what happens next.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said “nothing has been confirmed” about the Iranian delegation’s trip to Switzerland. A White House spokesperson said the US looked forward to starting “technical talks as soon as possible”.
In other key developments:
Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time”, Vance told reporters.
Trump said on Thursday the US expected “a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold.”
Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.”
Q&A
What triggered Israel's military strikes in Lebanon?
Israel's military strikes were triggered by repeated violations of the ceasefire by Hezbollah.
How many casualties have been reported from the Israeli strikes in Lebanon?
Reports indicate that three people have been killed in the Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon.
What areas in Lebanon are being targeted by Israeli strikes?
Israeli strikes are targeting several areas across southern Lebanon, focusing on Hezbollah positions.
Why were US-Iran talks in Switzerland called off?
The article does not specify the reasons for the cancellation of US-Iran talks in Switzerland.
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In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”.
Trump signs the framework agreement with Iran in the Palace of Versailles in France on Thursday
Trump signs the framework agreement with Iran in the Palace of Versailles in France, beside French president Emmanuel Macron (R) and his wife Brigitte Macron (L), with US secretary of state Marco Rubio (standing L), on Thursday. Photograph: @Scavino47/AFP/Getty Images
Iran announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the vital waterway would not be welcome, reportsPatrick Wintour.
Vance said the 60-day period in which to reach a final agreement with Iran started on Thursday. That would set a deadline for the final agreement between Iran and the US as 17 August.
US Central Command ended its blockade in the Hormuz strait, it announced on social media. The US naval blockade of the strait had been in effect since 13 April, with control of the waterway being a key point of conflict in the war. Marine Traffic data showed that at least seven ships had crossed the strait on Thursday.
The US would restart military action and reimpose a blockade against Iran if it did not fulfil its commitments under the signed agreement, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels.
Khamenei said in his message that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement’s signing ceremony in Switzerland, which was due to take place on Friday, was cancelled as it is understood that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has already been signed remotely.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was representing the bloc’s position on the Middle East, after Israel announced it was severing diplomatic relations over allegations she had compared the country to apartheid South Africa.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency is saying at least 16 people have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes, which Israel’s military said were ongoing, while Hezbollah said there was intense fighting in southern Lebanon.
The fighting poses a threat to the new US-Iran agreement on ending the war, which calls for an immediate halt of military operations “on all fronts, including in Lebanon”.
The deal also calls for ensuring the “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of Lebanon, where Israel has been battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out any immediate withdrawal from southern Lebanon, saying Israeli forces will stay there “for as long as necessary”.
As just mentioned, Donald Trump said on Thursday the US expected “a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel”, also encouraging “everyone in the Middle East region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold”.
Welcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East.
Israel’s military says it is attacking Hezbollah in several areas across southern Lebanon and has been striking throughout Thursday night.
It said on Telegram that the strikes on “Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure sites” came after “repeated violations of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed grup.
It was earlier reported that three people had been killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese state media. Hezbollah had said its fighters were engaged in fresh clashes with the Israeli military on Thursday.
The strikes have occurred despite the US-Iran agreement stipulating an end of the war on all fronts in the Middle East, including Lebanon.
Meanwhile, talks set to take place on Friday between the US and Iran on implementing the 14-point agreement to end their war have been cancelled, Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced.
Vice-president JD Vance has postponed his trip to Switzerland, casting uncertainly over what happens next.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said “nothing has been confirmed” about the Iranian delegation’s trip to Switzerland. A White House spokesperson said the US looked forward to starting “technical talks as soon as possible”.
In other key developments:
Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time”, Vance told reporters.
Trump said on Thursday the US expected “a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold.”
Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.”
In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”.
Trump signs the framework agreement with Iran in the Palace of Versailles in France on Thursday
Trump signs the framework agreement with Iran in the Palace of Versailles in France, beside French president Emmanuel Macron (R) and his wife Brigitte Macron (L), with US secretary of state Marco Rubio (standing L), on Thursday. Photograph: @Scavino47/AFP/Getty Images
Iran announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the vital waterway would not be welcome, reportsPatrick Wintour.
Vance said the 60-day period in which to reach a final agreement with Iran started on Thursday. That would set a deadline for the final agreement between Iran and the US as 17 August.
US Central Command ended its blockade in the Hormuz strait, it announced on social media. The US naval blockade of the strait had been in effect since 13 April, with control of the waterway being a key point of conflict in the war. Marine Traffic data showed that at least seven ships had crossed the strait on Thursday.
The US would restart military action and reimpose a blockade against Iran if it did not fulfil its commitments under the signed agreement, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels.
Khamenei said in his message that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement’s signing ceremony in Switzerland, which was due to take place on Friday, was cancelled as it is understood that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has already been signed remotely.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was representing the bloc’s position on the Middle East, after Israel announced it was severing diplomatic relations over allegations she had compared the country to apartheid South Africa.
