US Vice President JD Vance said Saturday he expects to travel to Switzerland in the coming days for talks with Iran, saying negotiations were going well — minutes before Tehran announced another closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

“I expect that I will leave some time the next couple of days, but, you know, it’s always a delicate coordination dance,” Vance told Fox News.

The vice president had unexpectedly postponed a planned trip two days earlier to discuss next steps on the US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the Middle East war.

Vance said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland, handling “some of the technical elements” of the talks, and had reported that “things are going well.”

Pakistan said separately that technical talks on implementing the agreement would be held Sunday in Burgenstock, Switzerland, with Pakistani and Qatari mediators joining US and Iranian representatives.

Iranian state media said an Iranian negotiating team had left for Switzerland, after quoting foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei as warning that the agreement was “in trouble.”

The warning came as Iran said it was again closing the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil and gas shipping lanes, over renewed Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Tehran accused Washington of a “breach of contract” and Israel of violating a ceasefire in southern Lebanon, saying the strait would be closed to vessel traffic.

Iran had blockaded Hormuz for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets, but had agreed to reopen it under the preliminary deal with Washington.

The US-Iran agreement was meant to halt the wider regional conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, where Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to trade fire despite a renewed ceasefire announced on Friday by Washington.

The Switzerland talks are intended to open a two-month negotiating period on unresolved issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to travel to Switzerland to participate in the second round of US-Iran talks, accompanied by a high-level delegation, sources said.

US Vice President JD Vance is also likely to attend.

Technical-level talks to implement the US-Iran deal ending the Middle East war are set to be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry confirmed.

“As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that Pakistani and Qatari mediators would participate alongside US and Iranian representatives.

An Iranian negotiating team departed for Switzerland on Saturday, state news agency IRNA reported, even as Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei warned the deal was “in trouble.”

US Vice President JD Vance said he expected to travel to Switzerland within the next few days, telling Fox News: “I expect that I will leave some time the next couple of days, but you know it’s always a delicate coordination dance.”

He said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already on the ground handling “some of the technical elements” of the talks, and had reported that “things are going well.”

Vance’s comments came minutes before Iran announced it was again closing the Strait of Hormuz — the vital oil and gas shipping lane Tehran had blockaded for much of the war — citing Israeli strikes in Lebanon as a violation of the ceasefire deal.

Iran said it was once again closing the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane on Saturday over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon, calling them a violation of its deal with the United States to end the Middle East war.

Israeli troops battled Hezbollah fighters while its warplanes conducted deadly strikes in Lebanon’s south on Saturday, hours after the United States announced a renewed ceasefire in the fighting there.

The ongoing hostilities had already strained the deal signed by US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian this week to halt the wider regional war on all fronts, including Lebanon — a key demand of Tehran’s.

Citing a US “breach of contract” and “the Zionist regime’s continuous and relentless violation of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon”, Iran’s central military command announced Saturday “that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to vessel traffic”.

The strait, an important conduit for oil and gas shipments, was blockaded by Iran for much of the war, sending shockwaves through global energy markets.

Iran had agreed to reopen it under the preliminary agreement with the US, and shipping traffic was starting to pick back up in recent days.

Follow-up talks on the US-Iran deal had been planned in Switzerland on Friday, but were indefinitely postponed as Israel launched a wave of deadly strikes in Lebanon after four of its soldiers were killed in combat.

On Friday afternoon, a US official announced a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by US and Qatari mediators, with Israel’s ambassador to Washington saying it would respect the truce if Hezbollah did.

But on Saturday an Israeli military official said it was conducting fresh attacks against the Iran-backed movement, which it accused of having “launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon” overnight.

Hezbollah said Israel had carried out “under the cover of the ceasefire… an infiltration attempt towards the Ali Taher hills”, a strategic feature overlooking the city of Nabatieh, adding its fighters “confronted them with appropriate weapons”.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli air raids on around 20 locations, with the country’s civil defence agency saying 16 people were killed in the Nabatieh area, where an AFP photographer saw smoke rising over the city after strikes.

Lebanon’s health ministry reported seven more people killed and 13 wounded in a strike on a village near the city of Sidon.

Another AFP journalist on the Israeli side of the border saw smoke billowing behind the historic Beaufort Castle, a strategic position not far from Nabatieh that Israel captured last month.

‘Right to confront’

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said Saturday that his group “has the full right to confront this enemy when it attacks us”.

An Israeli military official cited by public broadcaster Kan similarly described his country’s approach to the truce as being “on the basis of fire being answered with fire”.

Israel’s US ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, maintained it was Hezbollah that broke the truce, adding: “Israel is honouring the ceasefire while defending itself against terrorist attacks, as any self-respecting country would.”

Fadi Zayat, who had fled the southern Lebanon town of Tayr Debba, told AFP that “fear dominates over everyone”.

“We returned to the village a few days ago, but our bags are ready to flee again,” the 53-year-old said. “We’re waiting for a serious decision to end the war… in order to return to our lives.”

Hezbollah pulled Lebanon into the wider Middle East conflict in early March when it fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

A previous ceasefire meant to take effect in Lebanon in April was never honoured.

In a call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed “the need for Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory to cease”, his office said.

Rubio, according to the State Department, insisted on the importance of Lebanon carrying through on its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and “re-establish control over all Lebanese territory”.

Switzerland talks

Israel and Lebanon, which have no official diplomatic ties, have held multiple rounds of US-mediated direct talks in Washington, with another scheduled next week, according to Rubio.

Meanwhile, talks that were scheduled to take place between the US and Iran in Switzerland to work towards a lasting settlement in the Middle East war were postponed Friday, with no new date announced.

Vice President JD Vance had been expected to represent the American side, but put off his trip.

Instead, US envoy Steve Witkoff headed to Switzerland to get the talks back on track, American media outlets reported, with fellow Trump emissary Jared Kushner also expected there.

In parallel, mediator Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran on Saturday for meetings with officials, Iranian media reported.

The talks in Switzerland were meant to kick off a two-month period of negotiations to discuss outstanding issues not covered by the initial deal, notably Iran’s nuclear programme.

Switzerland’s foreign ministry said Saturday that envoys “from various countries currently present are continuing their efforts to maintain the dialogue”, declining to offer further details.

Swiss public broadcaster RTS said technical delegations from the United States and Iran, plus Pakistan and fellow mediator Qatar, were present for the discussions.

Iran is willing to continue talks with the United States if Washington demonstrates that it is serious about honouring the agreement reached between the two sides, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran is closely monitoring US actions to assess whether it is meeting its obligations under the deal, including ensuring that Israel adheres to its terms.

Khatibzadeh said Iran was closely monitoring developments following recent Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.

He warned that Israel’s “continued war-making” would have “serious and immediate” consequences.

He added that Iran was seeking “peace on all fronts, including Gaza,” but stressed that diplomatic engagement with the United States would depend on the fulfilment of commitments under the existing agreement.

His remarks came amid renewed regional diplomatic activity following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had urged Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah after renewed exchanges of fire earlier in the day.

Speaking to NBC News, Trump said he had been in contact with Israeli officials and encouraged support for the truce, though he did not confirm whether he had spoken directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Describing the ceasefire as “a positive,” Trump said it was “a little icing on the cake,” referring to a broader US-Iran memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict and enabling 60 days of technical talks.

He also commented on his relationship with Netanyahu, saying, “I’ve always been good with Bibi. You just have to calm down sometimes and use your head.”

According to CNN, Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to reinstate a ceasefire that took effect at 9am local time, following mediation efforts involving the United States and Qatar.

Sources said Iran also played a role in facilitating the agreement alongside Washington and Doha.

US President Donald Trump has credited Pakistan with “really helping” the United States secure a peace deal with Iran, which took effect this week following weeks of Pakistani-mediated talks.

In an interview with Axios, an American media outlet, Trump stated that Pakistani leaders leveraged their deep familiarity with Iranian counterparts, playing a vital role in a complex negotiation process which often involved difficult decisions by both sides.

“But they really helped us with this deal. They knew the Iranians. They knew the people. They were good,” he said while lauding Pakistani leaders.

The president was responding to a question about the world leaders in terms of their leverage.

Trump said there are different kinds of leaders in the world, naming Chinese President Xi Jinping, among others, whom he called great leaders.

“In Pakistan, you have Field Marshal (Asim) Munir, who is great, and you have the prime minister (Shehbaz Sharif), and they just get along great,” he said, continuing his reply to the question.

“The military guy,” Trump added, “totally respects the prime minister. It’s a beautiful thing to see.”

The agreement has been named the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” in recognition of Pakistan’s role in facilitating negotiations through several uncertain phases since April.

In addition to helping broker the first ceasefire between Washington and Tehran on April 7, Pakistan hosted the first round of talks between the two sides on April 11.

The meeting marked the first high-level face-to-face engagement between US and Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic Revolution severely disrupted relations between the two countries.

The conflict erupted on February 28, when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran.

In retaliation, Tehran unleashed a barrage of strikes on its energy-rich Gulf neighbours, accusing them of facilitating the US attacks.

The conflict toppled the energy markets as oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz stalled for several months.

Under the 14-point agreement, the United States has lifted its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and Tehran has also allowed ships to transit through the key waterway.

Next, the two sides will hold more negotiations over 60 days to address the issue of Iran’s nuclear stockpile.

Meanwhile, Israeli aggressive actions in Lebanon continue to pose a major challenge to the follow-up negotiations.

Interior Minister Senator Mohsin Naqvi departed for Tehran on Saturday on an official visit to hold high-level talks with senior Iranian officials.

Iranian state media reported that Naqvi is expected to meet senior Iranian leadership during his trip.

Sources said he is likely to convey congratulations on the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) and discuss the next phase of cooperation.

Naqvi’s agenda in Tehran will focus on advancing and following up on negotiations between Iran and the United States, according to reports.

Pakistan has been playing an active diplomatic role as a mediator in facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington, which recently resulted in a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.

The visit comes amid a shifting diplomatic environment following the cancellation of US-Iran talks in Switzerland.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed the cancellation of talks after US Vice President JD Vance postponed his planned travel to Switzerland for the negotiations.

The White House later said the United States remains hopeful that technical-level talks will begin soon.

US-Iran negotiations had been expected to address broader regional developments, but their postponement has added uncertainty to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Emerging outlines of a deal between Washington and Tehran to end their war contain a stinging paradox: sweeteners to coax Iran into compliance may strengthen an adversarial force that the US and its Western ​allies consider a terrorist organisation.

For years, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards thrived in the shadow of sanctions, building a sprawling commercial empire stretching from oil and construction to shipping, telecommunications ‌and ports.

Now, as Tehran and Washington prepare for talks on a deal to end the war that could unlock billions of dollars for Iran and reopen its economy to global investment, the elite force is poised to be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Four senior Iranian sources described how the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was uniquely placed to capture a big chunk of any financial rewards that would accrue from sanctions relief, renewed oil exports and foreign investment.

Their central role may ​also prove to be one of the many obstacles to a deal: with the Guards so firmly enmeshed in Iranian business, their terrorism designation could significantly complicate efforts to free ​the economy from sanctions.

IRGC’s large commercial empire

Founded by Iran’s late revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Guards prospered under his successor Ayatollah Ali ⁠Khamenei, gaining political power as they spearheaded efforts to project power across the Middle East and suppress dissent at home.

Since the war began on February 28 with strikes that killed Khamenei, the Guards ​have only expanded their power internally, helping to install his son Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader.

They have signalled support for the deal to end the war.

One of the senior sources described the ​Guards as the real winners of the war, saying that, having secured the survival of Iran’s religious system, they were best placed to benefit from any lifting of sanctions — having already run most of Iran’s sanctions-busting operations over recent decades.

A spokesperson for the Guards declined to comment.

The interim deal announced this week will allow waivers on sanctioned oil sales, while any more comprehensive agreement struck in the coming period could lift all other sanctions and ​give Iran access to a $300-billion reconstruction fund.

The IRGC does not publish financial data, but any efforts to revive the economy will expand its considerable financial reach, a second senior source said, pointing to existing ​multibillion-dollar trade networks, oil activities, shipping operations and construction businesses.

The IRGC’s engineering arm, Khatam Al Anbia, oversees hundreds of affiliated companies operating across major infrastructure and energy projects, and with involvement in telecommunications, car making, tourism and ‌logistics, according to ⁠official statements and public records.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guards to benefit from interim deal

With Iranian investment law requiring foreign firms to partner with locals, the sheer number of IRGC-linked companies means they become gatekeepers for potential investors into Iran’s most lucrative sectors.

That reality means Western firms returning to Iran’s market could find themselves operating alongside, or through, entities linked to the IRGC even without direct engagement — at the risk of falling foul of any continued sanctions tied specifically to the Guards.

“The IRGC is the entity pulling all the strings behind the oil sector, ​so you can’t ignore all of the legal ​effects of doing business with them,” said ⁠Jeremy Paner, a former Treasury Department sanctions investigator who is now a partner at law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed.

Even as the interim deal with Washington says Iranian oil exports will be authorised, “there’s still legal exposure for US companies because of the IRGC lurking in the background”, Paner said.

The US ​Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, passed in 2016, allows victims of terrorist attacks to sue US companies for aiding groups accused of ​terrorism, such as the IRGC.

If ⁠no wider deal is reached and sanctions stay in place, the Guards will still benefit from the interim oil export waivers, and can maintain their tight grip on the economy through their experience in sanctions busting, the senior Iranian sources said.

Their economic rise was accelerated by the sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear programme from the early 2000s, as they built networks to facilitate oil exports, shipping and trade through intermediaries ⁠and front ​companies.

The model became harder to sustain when US President Donald Trump began a “maximum pressure” campaign after pulling the US out ​of a 2015 nuclear deal between major powers in 2018, and then expanded US sanctions further during his present term.

Those measures narrowed the room for sanctions evasion and increased the cost of running illicit networks, a third senior Iranian source said.

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks, Axios said on Friday, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim US-Iran war pact ​into a lasting regional deal.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after escalating fighting cast doubt over US-Iran talks critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz ‌and stabilising oil supplies.

That followed a 14-point memorandum that the two sides signed this week to halt fighting and open a 60-day window to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme, as well as other thorny issues needed to forge a more durable deal.

US Vice President JD Vance cancelled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, however, amid rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an anti-Israeli group backed by Iran.

With the ceasefire in place, Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to join Jared Kushner, President ​Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who is already there, Axios said. Araqchi plans to travel there on Saturday, it added.

The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent ​truce.

The White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff’s travel.

A senior US official said the ceasefire took effect around 4pm in Lebanon following an ⁠exchange of fire, adding that negotiators for the United States and Qatar had worked out the agreement with help from Iran.

Two sources from Hezbollah and a senior Israeli official confirmed the ceasefire to Reuters.

“If Hezbollah does not ​attack us, then for us it is not a time of war,” the Israeli official said, adding that Israel would keep its forces in southern Lebanon, where it has occupied an area along its northern border.

Two Lebanese security ​sources said Israel had carried out a dozen air strikes in the first hour of the ceasefire but none were recorded after 5pm.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes after midnight into Friday had killed 47 people and wounded 97, while the Israeli military said four soldiers had been killed in an incident in Lebanon, without giving further details.

The conflict in Lebanon could weigh on negotiations because ending fighting there is a condition for the broader US-Iran accord.

Tough issues still unresolved

Following Wednesday’s signing of the memorandum of understanding, preparations ​for technical talks at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock were well advanced when the White House said on Thursday that Vance would not attend.

The Swiss foreign ministry said the talks had been postponed, but Switzerland stood ready ​to facilitate them, and preparatory work was continuing.

The broad interim deal requires the United States, Iran and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Israel, left out of the talks, says ‌it is ⁠not a party to the deal.

Araqchi, in a telephone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Friday, said the United States would be responsible for any violation of its commitments under the deal, including ending the fighting in Lebanon, his ministry said.

Israel-Lebanon talks

Lebanon was sucked into the regional war when Hezbollah opened fire at Israel on March 2, prompting it to launch an offensive against the group and invade the south of the country.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the latest Israeli attacks but said the escalation would not hinder efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.

The US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Aoun and reiterated the need to disarm ​Hezbollah, while reaffirming US support for a “fully sovereign” Lebanese state.

It ​said they also discussed holding a next round ⁠of Israel-Lebanon negotiations in Washington from June 23 to June 25.

The Lebanese presidency said a comprehensive ceasefire was a fundamental pillar for these talks.

Trump defends deal

The Iran war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli air attacks on Iran, has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon.

It also ​pushed up energy prices, stoking inflation worldwide.

Brent crude ticked higher on Friday, but was set for a weekly fall of about 8% after the Lebanon ceasefire, and oil ​shipments through the Strait of ⁠Hormuz picked up after the signing of this week’s deal.

The strait carried nearly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before it was blockaded by Iran during the war.

The body set up by Iran to manage the strait said on Friday it would waive planned fees during the interim deal’s negotiation period.

The MoU foresees relief for Iran from economic sanctions, the unfreezing of assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediate US waivers for its exports ⁠of oil.

It ​also provides for a $300-billion reconstruction fund for Iran and other financial incentives.

Trump again defended the deal after criticism in Washington, including some ​from Republican allies in Congress who question whether he conceded too much to end a war unpopular with most Americans ahead of midterm elections in November.

“The War has diminished Iran!” he wrote on social media on Friday, adding, “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They ​are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not 10 cents!”

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rose to its busiest level in two months after a deal to halt the US-Iran war, maritime trackers said on Friday.

A total of 25 commercial vessels crossed the newly reopened strait on Thursday, the highest number since mid-April, according to data from tracking firm AXSMarine — more than three times the average of just over seven a day since early March.

In a sign of traffic picking up in the region, empty trucks queued for up to three kilometres (two miles) outside the UAE port of Korfakkan just south of the strait, as at least four container ships unloaded there, an eyewitness told AFP.

Other ships could be seen on the hazy horizon, apparently waiting their turn to dock and unload, the eyewitness said, requesting anonymity.

The spike came after Iran and the United States agreed this week to reopen the crucial route under an agreement to end the war, but before the postponement of talks between the sides in Switzerland that had been planned for Friday under that deal.

The number of crossings on Thursday may be higher, as some ships turned off or manipulated their AIS transponder signals to avoid detection, AXSMarine said in a news release.

Iranian forces effectively closed off the strait after US and Israeli strikes sparked the war on February 28. Maritime authorities reported dozens of attacks on ships in the area.

Sea mine warning

Global shipping groups warned this week that plans to resume traffic through the strait were still not clear, and it was not thought safe to start exiting the Gulf.

The Pakistani navy published an alert on Friday, warning that a mine had been sighted in the strait off Oman.

“All vessels transiting through the area are advised to navigate with extreme caution,” it said.

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority on Friday published new rules for transits during the 60-day period covered by the war agreement.

In a post on X, it said all ships seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz should submit a transit request “48 hours in advance”.

It said it would waive payments of “tariffs” and “Iranian insurances” for ships passing during the 60 days.

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) chief Arsenio Dominguez said in April that the body was working on a plan to ensure safe transit for ships out of the Gulf.

Oil market impact

More than 500 commercial vessels and about 11,000 seafarers are still stuck in the Gulf, according to the IMO. It says 20,000 seafarers in the region have been affected by the war overall.

The agreement to stop the war this week was also meant to halt fighting in Lebanon but Israel’s military on Friday announced new strikes there.

A US official later said Israel and Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire.

The closure of the strait during the war drove up global oil prices and choked off shipments of energy and crucial commodities such as fertiliser.

Following the Iran-US agreement announced on June 14, “the first sign of relief came this week with fast falling prices”, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at banking group Swissquote.

“Energy and transport sectors will be the first to feel the relief, before it spills toward the rest of the economy,” she told AFP.

But given the risk of renewed fighting in Lebanon, she added, “questions remain regarding the US ability to end the war”.

Fighting flared anew in Lebanon on Friday, with authorities reporting 47 killed in Israeli airstrikes and Israel announcing the deaths of four of its soldiers.

The violence is the worst since the sealing of a US-Iran deal to halt the wider Middle East war, which was also supposed to pause fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) also reported a fresh Israeli strike on the area of Jezzine in the south, soon after a US official said on Friday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed on a ceasefire.

An NNA journalist had also reported drones flying over the Tyre area, while an AFP correspondent heard continuous artillery shelling in the southern town of Nabatieh.

The US official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the truce was brokered by US and Qatari mediators, following talks with Israel and Iran.

A Gulf diplomat later confirmed the ceasefire was brokered by Qatar, the US and Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not respond to an AFP request to confirm the ceasefire.

Israeli military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said: “Everything related to agreements belongs to the political echelon… We will continue to operate according to the directives”.

An earlier truce meant to have taken effect in April did little to stop attacks from either side.

‘Dangerous escalation’

Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli airstrikes and bombardments killed at least 47 people — including seven women and two children — and wounded 97 others in Lebanon on Friday.

Video from AFPTV showed hundreds of cars packing roads in the city of Sidon as people attempted to flee southern areas.

Israel’s military reported “more than 150 IDF (military) strikes in Lebanon since midnight”.

It said earlier it had “struck more than 80 command centres, terrorists, launch positions and additional terrorist infrastructure sites in the area of Nabatieh and additional areas in southern Lebanon”.

“Dozens of Hezbollah terrorists operating in the command centres were eliminated.”

Iran-backed Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it was attacking Israeli forces around Nabatieh.

Israeli strikes also targeted the Baalbek region in the east of Lebanon, which had been largely spared since the start of the conflict in March.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel’s latest attacks “constitute a dangerous escalation”.

Earlier, the Israeli military said Lieutenant Colonel Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon had “fallen in combat” along with three other soldiers.

Israeli military correspondents reported the four were killed when a tank was hit by “a suspected drone or anti-tank missile”.

The military also reported that a reserve officer was severely wounded by a drone attack, with four other soldiers lightly injured.

‘Mothers must weep’

The deaths of the soldiers drew a furious reaction in Israel.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said “Lebanon must burn… For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, 1,000 Lebanese mothers must weep”.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of wanting “permanent war”.

US officials including President Donald Trump have expressed frustration at Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.

But Netanyahu said on Friday that Israeli troops will stay in south Lebanon “as long as necessary”.

Hassan Tarhini, 57, forced to flee the Nabatieh area, told AFP that “we have no problem being displaced once, twice or even 10 times, so long as we return with our heads held high”.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in early March by attacking Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with a massive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and congratulated the Iranian government and people on the signing of the memorandum of understanding under the recently concluded peace process.

During the conversation, Dar conveyed his best wishes for the next phase of negotiations and expressed hope that the process would move forward without obstacles and yield positive results.

“We hope the process progresses smoothly and leads to constructive outcomes,” Dar said, according to official sources.

Araghchi thanked Pakistan for its constructive role in facilitating dialogue and acknowledged Islamabad’s efforts in supporting the peace process.

The Iranian foreign minister also expressed gratitude to Dar for assistance in the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals.

The two leaders agreed to maintain close contact and continue coordination on matters of mutual interest as diplomatic engagement moves forward.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a telephone conversation on Friday, during which they welcomed the successful conclusion of the Islamabad Peace Accord between Iran and the United States and reaffirmed support for the next phase of negotiations.

According to official sources, PM Shehbaz congratulated the Saudi crown prince on the landmark agreement and thanked Saudi Arabia for its consistent support of efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

The prime minister said Saudi Arabia’s support had played an important role in facilitating the Iran-US agreement and appreciated Riyadh’s constructive contribution to the peace process.

During the conversation, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated PM Shehbaz on the successful completion of the peace accord.

He also described the role of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as a key factor in securing the agreement.

The two leaders expressed optimism about the next phase of negotiations between Iran and the United States and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting efforts aimed at ensuring lasting peace and stability in the region.

Israel and Hezbollah have ​agreed to a ‌ceasefire set to begin at 4 ​pm local time ​on Friday, a senior ⁠US official ​told Reuters.

“Hezbollah and ​Israel have agreed to a ceasefire,” the official ​said on ​background, adding that negotiators for ‌the ⁠US and Qataris worked out the deal with ​help from ​Iran.

“We ⁠understand that after the ​exchange of fire ​earlier ⁠today, Israel and Hezbollah are ⁠now ​in a ​ceasefire.”

The intensification of violence in Lebanon strained the US-Iranian interim agreement signed on Wednesday to end ​the wider war in the Middle East.

A Hezbollah lawmaker ​earlier told Reuters that Iran had informed the group that talks with ‌Washington ⁠could not continue without the implementation of a comprehensive ceasefire.

Overnight, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people in Lebanon, the Lebanese health ministry reported, while four Israeli soldiers were ​killed in south ​Lebanon in ⁠one of the deadliest attacks by Hezbollah during this war.

The Iran deal requires the United ​States, Iran, and their allies to declare an immediate ​and ⁠permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. Violence abated significantly earlier this week, but has since picked up.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Friday that “all of Lebanon must burn” after Israel’s military announced the deaths of four soldiers there.

The Israeli losses were the first to be announced since a US-Iran deal was signed to end the Middle East war.

The agreement was also supposed to halt the fighting between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Washington has expressed frustration at Israel’s ongoing campaign there.

“With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn,” Ben Gvir said in a statement.

“For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep,” he added.

“In the Near East, you don’t win with measured responses and restraint.”

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel must “go wild. Eradicate. Defeat terrorism.”

“We must let fire speak… and open the gates of hell,” he added, without explicitly mentioning Lebanon.

The US-Iran agreement has been widely perceived in Israel as detrimental to its interests, signalling a failure by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to force US President Donald Trump to take account of Israeli security demands.

Netanyahu is under pressure ahead of elections due to be held by the end of October.

According to a poll published Friday by the newspaper Maariv, 63 percent of Israelis are “worried” about the future of Israel following the deal.

Avigdor Lieberman, head of the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu opposition party, called on Friday for a “heavy price” to be exacted in Lebanon “from which the other side will never recover”.

If Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, “are still standing, this is a direct failure of the prime minister and the defence minister”, he wrote on X.

Israeli troops will stay in Lebanon “as long as necessary”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, vowing to make Iran-backed Hezbollah pay a “heavy price” for its attacks.

“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu said in a statement after the military announced the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon. “Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary for the protection of the communities of the north.”

Defence Minister Israel Katz had also said the military would stay in Lebanon, adding it would respond “with considerable force” to any attack.

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Friday that talks with the United States would remain bound by Tehran’s “red lines”.

“As we have shown in the past path of negotiations, we are steadfast in fulfilling the conditions and red lines set, and in achieving the interests of the Iranian nation,” Ghalibaf said in remarks published by the official IRNA news agency.

“If the enemy seeks to be excessive, we have proven that our fingers are on the trigger and we have no hesitation in giving a crushing response to the enemy.”

Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding this week, ending a regional war that erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Ghalibaf’s remarks came after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said he had approved the US-Iran deal despite having a “different view” on the matter, without elaborating.

In a message read out on state television, Khamenei said that direct talks with the United States “will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view”.

In response to Khamenei’s message, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country’s foreign policy apparatus “will be used to secure the sublime interests of Iran”.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, who signed the deal on behalf of his country, issued a similar statement promising to adhere to Iran’s red lines.

Concerns about deal

The deal, which US President Donald Trump also signed, lays the groundwork for detailed 60-day negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief.

It remains unclear when talks for a final settlement will start after a first meeting in Switzerland slated for Friday was postponed.

The agreement provides for an end to the Middle East war on all fronts, including Lebanon, the lifting of the two-month US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and Tehran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz “with no charge for 60 days only”.

It also includes an Iranian commitment not to procure or develop nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has consistently denied pursuing.

Conservatives in Iran appeared deeply sceptical of the deal, with some expressing concern that Tehran could be giving up leverage before securing compensation and sanctions relief.

“The Americans do not honour any commitments, they have not been loyal to any agreements,” said Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of the ultraconservative Kayhan newspaper, in an interview with state television on Thursday.

He added: “The Strait of Hormuz is the way to get compensation.”

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, took issue with reports of possible inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities by a UN watchdog, while lawmaker Hosseinali Shahriari expressed disapproval that the deal went ahead without parliament’s green light.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for them to want to implement the same JCPOA programme,” he told the Didban news website, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal with the US from which Trump pulled out three years later.

“We have been harmed by this once, and the same thing should not happen again.”

US President Donald Trump said there were “no limits” to his ability to exert power following the US-Iran war, arguing that the United States has the “most powerful military in the world.”

In an interview with Axios released on Thursday, Trump was asked what he had learned about the exercise and limits of presidential power as a result of the conflict.

“There are no limits. I haven’t learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but there are no limits. We defeated them totally militarily,” he said.

“We have the most powerful military in the world, by far. Who else could have done a blockade like that? I did a naval blockade where not one ship was able to get through. Some tried. They didn’t, you know. It didn’t last very long,” he said.

When pressed on whether the memorandum of understanding signed this week between the United States and Iran amounted to the “unconditional surrender” he had initially wanted from Tehran, Trump responded: “Well, it really probably is unconditional surrender.”

Fighting escalated sharply between Israel and Hezbollah in south Lebanon overnight, with more than 21 people reported killed in Israeli strikes and four Israeli soldiers killed in one ​of the deadliest attacks by the Iran-backed group during this war.

The violence showed no sign of abating as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday vowed to “extract a very ‌heavy price” from Hezbollah for the killing of the four soldiers.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday condemned the Israeli escalation, saying it effectively targeted an interim deal between the United States and Iran, halting the broader Middle East war.

But Aoun said it would not prevent efforts to pursue a comprehensive ceasefire, and he had instructed the Lebanese negotiating delegation to pursue that goal in the next round of talks in Washington.

The Iran deal requires the United States, Iran, and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent ​termination of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. Violence abated significantly earlier this week, but has since picked up.

Israeli officials have voiced anger at the US-Iran pact, saying it does not ​go far enough to address Israeli concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. Paris has urged Washington to put pressure on Israel to stop the hostilities in Lebanon.

Katz says Israeli forces will stay in southern Lebanon

Israel’s leadership has promised to continue the occupation of Lebanon in defiance of the US-Iran agreement, which calls for Lebanon’s sovereignty to be respected.

In a statement on Friday, ​Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon “from the Mediterranean coast to the heights of Beaufost”, referring to a castle in Lebanon that Israel has captured for the first time since the 1980s.

He ​said the Israeli military was destroying villages in the areas it occupied and would never allow people to return to their homes.

“The 200,000 residents who lived in the security zone are not returning. None of them is returning,” said Katz.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for revenge after the Israeli military announced the death of the four soldiers, writing on X: “For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep. All of Lebanon must burn.”

Lebanon’s health ministry ​said 18 people had been killed and 33 wounded in heavy airstrikes in 11 towns since midnight, and that bombardment was preventing rescue and evacuation efforts. It said the toll was expected to rise.

In one ​of the targeted locations - the village of Harouf, northeast of the city of Tyre - seven people were killed, and many more were believed to be under rubble, health ministry sources told Reuters.

Residents try to flee north

Israel said it carried ‌out strikes targeting ⁠what it described as Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure across several areas of the south, saying these were in response to repeated ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed group.

Hezbollah denied it had violated the ceasefire, and accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire terms, including the US-Iran agreement. The statement accused Israeli forces of carrying out attacks that killed civilians, destroying homes and infrastructure, and continuing their ground incursions into parts of southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported heavy displacement from the southern districts of Tyre and Bint Jbeil, with residents fleeing north amid escalating Israeli strikes.

Heavy fighting overnight was concentrated in an area north of the Litani River known as ​Ali al-Taher hill, high ground strategically important to ​Hezbollah, where Israeli forces had sought to advance, ⁠a senior Lebanese security source said.

Hezbollah said its fighters ambushed an Israeli force advancing near the hill, destroying three Merkava tanks with guided missiles and targeting troops with rocket and artillery fire. Hezbollah said it later attacked Israeli forces that had sought to enter the area to retrieve casualties.

The Israeli military said four soldiers ​had been killed in an incident in Lebanon, but without giving further details.

Hezbollah attacks with explosive drones

Lebanon was sucked into the regional war when Hezbollah opened ​fire at Israel on March ⁠2, prompting Israel to launch a major offensive against the group and invade the south.

Israel has rejected calls to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, where its forces are occupying a self-declared security zone. Israel says this aims to shield northern Israel from Hezbollah attack. Its forces have been razing villages in the south where they say Hezbollah has embedded itself.

On Wednesday, Israel published a map showing an expanded military control zone in southern Lebanon and said it ⁠would not rule ​out carrying out attacks beyond it.

Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks on Israeli positions in the south this week, including with ​explosive drones that have killed and injured troops.

Lebanon’s health ministry has recorded 3,912 people killed in Lebanon as a result of Israeli attacks since March 2, including 746 medics, women and children.

Israel’s death toll from this round of hostilities with Hezbollah includes at least ​32 soldiers and four Israeli civilians.

US Vice President JD Vance pulled out of a planned trip to meet Iranian negotiators in Switzerland on Friday to begin complex talks on implementing the 14-point agreement, ​struck between Tehran and Washington to end their war, a White House spokesperson said.

US officials said this week they would hold a formal signing ceremony for the US-Iran agreement ‌in Geneva.

Still, Iran’s foreign ministry cast doubt on that, saying it was unnecessary after both countries’ presidents signed the agreement on Wednesday.

Iran had said it was ready to begin technical talks after the two enemies extended a tenuous ceasefire by at least 60 days with the accord. But the semi-official Tasnim news agency said earlier on Thursday, before Vance’s announcement, that Iran’s negotiators needed to see signs of implementation of the interim agreement from the US before the next rounds of ​peace talks could begin, and that there was no confirmation that its delegation would travel to Geneva.

Vance and the US delegation had been ready to depart as soon as plans for the talks ​had been finalised, the White House spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday night.

“But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement ⁠said.

There was no immediate response from Iran’s government.

The diplomatic back-and-forth over the planned ceremony and photo-op adds to the uncertainty over whether a lasting truce can be found to a regional war that ​has killed at least 7,000 people, sent energy prices soaring and shaken global markets.

Israel continues fight

Israel, which was not included in the peace talks and has distanced itself from the US-Iran accord, continued its fighting against the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, also raising questions ​about whether the agreement would hold.

In Washington, some of US President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in Congress questioned whether he had given up too much to end the conflict, which is unpopular with most Americans.

Trump previously wrote he would only end the war with Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER,” but the memorandum he signed with Iran instead provides relief from economic sanctions, unfreezes assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediately provides US waivers for Iran to export its oil.

Iran’s Supreme ​Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Trump had signed the deal “out of desperation” and signalled that upcoming talks over Iran’s nuclear program, among Trump’s stated reasons for starting the war, would not be easy.

“If the American side wants to ​be too demanding, we will not accept it,” he said in a written message.

The deal gives negotiators 60 days to reach an agreement on the status of Iran’s nuclear program unless both sides agree to an extension, and set up ‌a $300 billion reconstruction ⁠fund for Iran and other financial incentives. Vance said Washington would also seek to limit Iran’s long-range missiles.

When the US and Israel launched the war nearly four months ago, Trump said he aimed to destroy Iran’s nuclear program to ensure it could never develop nuclear weapons, end Tehran’s ability to strike its neighbours, prevent it from supporting allied anti-Israel militants in the region and make it possible for Iranians to topple their theocratic government.

Trump signed the deal, but none of those objectives was met.

In the agreement, Iran restated its decades-long position that it will not get or develop nuclear weapons, a position doubted by a succession of US presidents.

It also agreed to ​the onsite “down blending” of its highly enriched uranium ​stockpile and inspections by the International Atomic Energy ⁠Agency as a Non-Proliferation Treaty member, rejecting Trump’s wish to remove the material from the country.

US officials say the negotiations could still yield a strong agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, aiming to exceed one from 2015 between Iran and the US and other countries that Trump tore up in his first term.

But critics ​say Iran is in a stronger position now, having withstood a superpower attack, exerted control of the Strait of Hormuz and gained valuable waivers to financial ​sanctions.

Iran has said it ⁠will still exert control over Hormuz in partnership with its neighbour Oman across the strait and intends to charge ships fees for services that did not exist before the war, although it says no fees will be charged during the 60-day negotiations period.

In Lebanon, where more than a million people have been displaced by the fighting, Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes early on Thursday, raising doubt about how far Trump will go to force his wartime ⁠allies to halt ​an offensive he has now pledged to end.

Trump said he expects a complete ceasefire on all fronts.

The deal calls for the “permanent ​termination” of the war in Lebanon and for the country’s “territorial integrity and sovereignty” to be ensured.

Israel has said it has no intention of withdrawing from Lebanon and released a new map showing an expanded occupation zone.

Trump has become openly critical of Israel’s operations in ​Lebanon, leading to one of the biggest rifts between the two countries in decades.

Hezbollah said its fighters were engaged in fresh clashes with the Israeli military on Thursday, hours after Lebanese state media reported that Israeli strikes in the south killed three people.

The fighting came a day after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, said on Thursday it was fighting “a force of the Israeli enemy army that attempted to advance from the town of Arnoun towards the outskirts of Kfar Tibnit”, near the key town of Nabatieh.

“The clashes are still ongoing,” it added in the statement released in the late afternoon.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March by attacking Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader at the start of the US-Israeli campaign.

Israel retaliated with broad strikes across Lebanon and by launching a ground invasion in the south, which borders Israel and has long been under Hezbollah’s sway.

The hostilities have continued despite the US-Iran agreement.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) reported on Thursday that “an enemy drone targeted a car” in the Kfar Tibnit area, killing two people.

In the neighbouring village of Zebdine, another drone killed one more person, NNA said.

Israel’s military, meanwhile, announced the death of one of its soldiers the night before in an incident in south Lebanon that also left seven others wounded.

Israeli offensive

In an earlier statement, Hezbollah said on Thursday that its fighters had repelled a four-day Israeli offensive towards the Ali al-Taher hills and Kfar Tibnit.

The Ali al-Taher hills are a strategic height overlooking Nabatieh and are believed to hold important Hezbollah military infrastructure.

Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli troops and tanks with drones, rockets and artillery, forcing them to retreat “under the cover of smoke screens and artillery fire during the night”.

Also on Thursday, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, said that Israel’s war in Lebanon had “failed” to eliminate the group.

He also called on Lebanese authorities to “adopt a framework for indirect negotiations with the enemy” to stop the fighting.

He said the Israeli military must “fully comply with the cessation of hostilities on land, at sea and in the air, and prepare for and begin withdrawal within 60 days, without any need whatsoever for direct negotiations”.

The Israeli military, however, said on Thursday that it would continue to operate in southern Lebanon even after the United States and Iran signed their agreement.

The military also published a map of its so-called security zone, which runs some 10 kilometres (six miles) inside Lebanese territory and includes the area where Hezbollah said it had confronted the Israeli offensive.

It said troops would remain there “to remove threats and strengthen the defence of Israel’s northern residents”.

In a later statement, an Israeli military official said the army would also “continue to remove threats to IDF soldiers and the civilians of the State of Israel that are identified beyond the security zone”.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that he had approved a deal with the United States to end the Middle East war despite having a “different view”, without elaborating.

“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,” Khamenei said in message read on state television

Khamenei has not been seen in public since he took office in March following the killing of his father and predecessor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 that sparked the regional war.

The message was his first reaction to the Iran-US deal to end the conflict that was signed by US Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Khamenei said Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”.

In his message, Khamenei noted 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.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday held their first telephone conversation since the signing of the historic Islamabad Peace Deal, with both leaders expressing optimism that the agreement would help restore regional stability and deepen bilateral cooperation.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the call lasted more than 30 minutes and focused on the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran.

During the conversation, PM Shehbaz congratulated President Pezeshkian, the Iranian leadership and the people of Iran on the signing of the landmark agreement.

He said the deal would not only contribute to peace and stability in the region but would also play a significant role in Iran’s reconstruction and further strengthen Pakistan-Iran relations across all areas of mutual interest.

The prime minister also conveyed his respectful regards to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.

Welcoming Iran’s decision to sign the agreement, PM Shehbaz expressed confidence in the next phase of negotiations and assured Tehran of Pakistan’s continued support as a brotherly and neighbouring country.

On behalf of the Iranian nation and in his personal capacity, President Pezeshkian thanked PM Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for what he described as their critical role in successfully steering the mediation process.

He said Pakistan’s efforts, carried out with sincerity and skill, had helped secure the agreement and would always be remembered by Iran. The Iranian president also acknowledged Pakistan’s positive and constructive support during a difficult period for his country.

President Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s desire to further expand bilateral relations with Pakistan in all fields of mutual interest and conveyed his best wishes to the people of Pakistan.

The two leaders agreed to exchange visits to each other’s capitals at the earliest opportunity to advance cooperation on bilateral and regional issues. They also agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days.

The Islamabad Peace Deal, signed earlier on Thursday after a 14-point agreement was reached this week, provides a framework aimed at ending the conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and setting a 60-day timeline for further negotiations between the parties.

The US on Thursday lifted a blockade of Iranian ports imposed during the Middle East war after President Donald Trump signed a deal to end the conflict, as uncertainty surrounded planned talks in Switzerland aiming to take the accord further.

The signing of the deal by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian set in motion a 60-day period for talks on wider issues between the two foes, including the Iranian nuclear programme.

But there was uncertainty over the next steps, and it remained unclear if the two sides, who have had no diplomatic relations following the 1979 Islamic revolution, would hold a signing ceremony and talks in Switzerland on Friday as previously announced.

Oil prices tumbled after the agreement was inked, though activity was still muted in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic bottleneck for energy shipments that Iran blockaded during the conflict and which should reopen immediately under the deal.

American forces on Thursday lifted their parallel naval blockade of Iranian ports that had prevented ships from sailing to or from the Islamic republic, the US military said, noting that American warships “will remain in the general area”.

Three Saudi oil tankers left the Gulf through the strait on Thursday, maritime trackers said, while the loaded liquefied natural gas vessel (LNG) Mraikh became the first such French vessel to make the transit since the start of the conflict.

The US military, which had enforced its own blockade after Iran shut the Strait at the start of the war, has allowed at least 12 ships to pass through, Vice President JD Vance said.

Before the war, the strait saw around 120 transits per day, according to the shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

Vance said he planned to go to Switzerland for “technical negotiations” with Iran “this weekend” rather than Friday, but emphasised that the plan “could change”.

In Iran, the Tasnim news agency said “nothing has been confirmed” about the Iranian delegation’s trip to Switzerland.

‘Maybe they start fighting again’

The deal should bring an end to the current US-Israeli conflict with the Islamic Republic, which saw five weeks of all-out war until a ceasefire was struck in early April.

But some in Tehran expressed a downbeat mood at the prospects for peace.

“I have no hope that this is a lasting agreement. Maybe after the 60 days they start fighting again,” said Mina, 54, a psychologist from Tehran.

Under the text, Washington commits to immediately waive oil sanctions crippling Iran’s economy.

And once a final agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear programme, the United States will facilitate the release of a $300 billion reconstruction fund supported by regional nations, the deal says.

US officials also said Iran would dilute its enriched uranium stocks, possibly by “down-blending on site” under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog.

Iran’s ballistic missile programme was not mentioned in the agreement, despite Israel’s longstanding push for its dismantling.

‘Either jealous or stupid’

Trump’s decision to end the war, in which 13 US service members were killed and a vast proportion of US ammunition stockpiles was used, has unsettled some of his allies at home.

US Senator Bill Cassidy from Trump’s Republican Party described it as the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades”.

“Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works,” he said.

Apparently anticipating such criticism, Trump said at a G7 summit that he was prepared to “bomb the hell” out of Iran if they violated the agreement.

“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” Trump added on social media on Thursday.

There has also been some criticism from hardliners within Iran, where the conflict was described as an “imposed war” and compared to the 1980-1988 conflict with Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

But parliament speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf insisted the deal represented a US “failure”, while Pezeshkian called it “historic”.

‘Just one thing’

Agnes Lavallois, president of France’s Institute for Research and Studies on the Mediterranean and the Middle East, said the feeling was that the Americans “wanted just one thing — the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.”

“The other issues that were put forward to justify this war are no longer relevant at all,” she told AFP.

And while the deal specifies that Lebanon should be part of the equation, it is unclear whether the war between Israel and Hezbollah on that front will be discussed in the next 60 days.

After reports of tensions with Washington, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underscored the importance of maintaining close ties with the United States, saying “the struggle is not yet over, and further challenges lie ahead.”

US Vice President JD Vance on Friday issued an extraordinary rebuke to Israeli critics of the Iran deal, warning them not to alienate their “only powerful ally” left in the world.

Vance told members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet criticising the agreement to “wake up and smell the reality,” amid growing tensions between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.

“What I will say, and this does bother me, is that you’ve seen people within Bibi’s cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal, and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States,” Vance told reporters in a briefing at the White House.

“If I were in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”

Vance credited Netanyahu for not personally criticising the deal, but explicitly raised the huge amounts of military aid that the United States gives Israel, its key ally in the Middle East.

The two countries jointly launched the war on Iran on February 28, but Trump has chastised Israel for continuing attacks on Lebanon that threatened to derail the deal with Tehran.

“The other thing that I would say is that over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars,” Vance added.

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation.”

In an interview with the New York Times published on Thursday, Vance directly named Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as having attacked the deal.

“I guess my response to them would be — what is your exact proposal? You’re a country of nine million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have,” Vance told the Times.

Trump himself has been increasingly critical of the high death toll from Israeli attacks, particularly on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.

“When two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly they could do a better job,” Trump said in a press conference at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian shared the signed copy of the peace agreement with the United States on social media, describing its key provisions as a historic milestone.

The document bears the signatures of US President Donald Trump, President Pezeshkian and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who facilitated the deal through Pakistan’s mediation.

According to the document, Iran and the US have agreed to a permanent ceasefire and the complete cessation of hostilities — a development being described as a significant step towards reducing tensions in the Middle East.

The agreement includes the full lifting of economic sanctions on Iran, while Tehran has given assurances that it will not develop nuclear weapons.

Frozen Iranian assets abroad are to be immediately unfrozen, a move expected to substantially ease the country’s financial difficulties.

On energy, the deal restores Iranian oil exports, a development likely to have ripple effects on global markets.

The agreement also references a $300 billion economic package for Iran, described as an extraordinary development for the country’s economy.

The US has also committed to reducing military tensions in the region, while both sides have indicated their intent to seek ratification under the United Nations framework for a final agreement.

A 60-day negotiating framework on Iran’s nuclear programme has also been established under the accord, alongside provisions for the restoration of maritime routes.

Sharing the signed copy on X, Pezeshkian wrote that lasting peace was only possible in the shadow of mutual respect. He said Iran had always been committed to global peace, development and regional cooperation and would continue to play its role in promoting stability.

“This text reflects the voice of a nation that did not compromise its dignity and freedom under any pressure or threat,” he said, adding that the progress recorded was the result of national resistance, political foresight and responsible diplomacy.

PM Shehbaz speaks to Pezeshkian

PM Shehbaz and President Pezeshkian held a telephone conversation lasting over 30 minutes, the first formal contact between the two leaders since the agreement was signed.

The prime minister congratulated Pezeshkian, the Iranian leadership and the people of Iran on the historic peace deal.

PM Shehbaz said the agreement would not only help establish peace in the region but would also contribute to Iran’s reconstruction and further strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran across all areas of mutual interest.

President Pezeshkian, on behalf of the Iranian nation, extended special thanks to PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying both had played a pivotal role in bringing the mediation process to a successful conclusion.

“Iran will always value this. Pakistan’s positive, constructive and sincere support during difficult times will never be forgotten,” he said.

The two leaders agreed to visit each other’s capitals at the earliest mutual convenience to further advance bilateral and regional cooperation.

Global reaction

China welcomed the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, urging both parties to maintain their cooperation through the second round of negotiations.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson expressed hope on Thursday that all relevant parties, including the United States and Iran, would honour the spirit of the agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also welcomed the deal, calling it an important step toward the permanent resolution of the conflict in the region. He said Moscow viewed the agreement as a potential model for stability in the Middle East that could also assist in resolving other disputes in the future.

Qatar welcomed the signing of the MoU, describing it as evidence of both parties’ willingness to resolve differences through dialogue.

The Qatari foreign ministry said the agreement ensured the end of hostilities and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, providing a strong foundation for future negotiations. Qatar also praised Pakistan’s diplomatic role, calling Islamabad’s efforts in bringing the agreement together commendable.