Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon threaten progress in US-Iran talks
Israeli strikes and Hezbollah attacks in southern Lebanon have intensified, raising concerns over a fragile agreement between Iran and the United States. The violence has led to the postponement of planned talks in Switzerland, while tensions continue to threaten regional stability
Jerusalem: Israel’s military struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight into Friday, and Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war.
Lebanese media reported at least 18 people killed in the strikes, while Israel said four soldiers died.
The conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah is the most precarious part of the Iran deal. Neither Israel nor the militant group signed the agreement, but it is supposed to end their fighting, and Iran has signalled its willingness to risk renewed war in the region for the sake of its interests in Lebanon and its most important regional ally.
Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland for talks on Friday with the United States, partly due to the fighting, a regional official said. US Vice President JD Vance also called off his trip, and mediators are now scrambling to reschedule the meetings, which were supposed to begin addressing how to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme, the core issue over which Israel and the US went to war on February 28.
The talks are also supposed to bring about a permanent end to the conflict. The interim deal has already reopened the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, after Iranian attacks and threats had all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway. That caused energy prices to soar far beyond the region, and President Donald Trump said he signed the agreement to avoid an “economic catastrophe” in the US.
The fighting in Lebanon could unravel the deal
The Israeli military said strikes were ongoing on Friday after four of its soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added.
Israel then launched multiple strikes against “Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement, which accused the militant group of “blatant ceasefire violations”. Later, the military said it also struck targets in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese media reporting that the village of Douris was hit.
“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.
Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks were in response to what it called Israel’s own violation of the ceasefire. It said the attacks came after Israeli forces attempted to reach the northern side of the Ali al-Taher hilltop, a strategic point overlooking Nabatiyeh that Israeli troops have been trying to capture.
The fighting threatens to unravel the newly signed deal. Beyond ending the hostilities in Lebanon, the agreement calls for ensuring Lebanon’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty”. It does not say whether that means Israel would withdraw from the large swathes of southern Lebanon it has occupied since Hezbollah joined the war in its early days by firing rockets and drones at northern Israel.
Iran has insisted that Israel pull back, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that forces would remain in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it”. Israel’s actions in Lebanon have created a rift between Israel and the US, with Trump becoming increasingly critical of his close ally Netanyahu.
The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, came to Israel’s defence on Friday, however, noting the deaths of the soldiers in a post on X.
“Israel strikes when struck,” he wrote. “Ceasefire happens when Hezbollah stops shooting and killing.”
Talks in Switzerland were postponed
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 because of the fighting and Netanyahu’s comments, describing them as violations of the interim deal between Iran and the US.
The White House, however, blamed logistical issues for Vance postponing his trip.
Two other regional officials, also speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said Pakistan was “stunned” by Iran’s decision not to attend the talks.
Much remains to be resolved
The discussions in Switzerland are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran maintains it is peaceful, though it has highly enriched uranium that could be used to build multiple atomic bombs should it choose to do so, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Those talks are expected to be extremely difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months to negotiate.
The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to come up with a nuclear agreement, but that can be extended. It outlines lucrative incentives if Iran reaches a new agreement, including the eventual lifting of all international sanctions and a USD 300 billion fund for post-war reconstruction.
Iran has already won some concessions. Following the signing of the interim deal, the US lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and is allowing it to sell its oil freely. The deal also calls for Iran’s assets to be unfrozen, though it is not clear how quickly.
Oil tankers began moving freely through the Strait of Hormuz this week after months of being unable to use the critical channel. More than 12.5 million barrels of oil were shipped through the waterway on Wednesday night, the US said.
Still, it is expected to take weeks or months for the normal flow of oil and gas to resume, even if traffic fully resumes in the strait.
