Iran Delayed Talks After Israeli Attacks in Lebanon, Diplomats Say

NY Times -June 19th2026

Here’s the latest.

Talks in Switzerland between the United States and Iran on the next phase of their peace process were postponed on Friday, casting doubt on a preliminary U.S.-Iran deal that aims to end a war that has plunged the Middle East into turmoil and upended global markets.

Strikes by Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon on Friday added pressure on the fragile deal. Iran pulled out of the talks in Switzerland after Israeli attacks in Lebanon, three diplomats said, without clarifying whether they were referring to the strikes on Friday or earlier ones.

Israel’s latest strikes came after an attack on an Israeli tank crew in southern Lebanon early Friday killed four of its soldiers. In response, Israel said that its military had struck more than 80 targets belonging to Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, killing dozens. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes overnight had left at least 47 people dead and injured 97 others.

Two diplomats later said that Israel and Hezbollah had reached a cease-fire that was to take effect at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern).There was no immediate comment from the militant group.

The surge of violence showed how Lebanon remained a major obstacle to the durability of the preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has indicated that he is not bound by the deal, which calls for a cease-fire on all fronts, including Lebanon. Iran has repeatedly warned that continued fighting in Lebanon could jeopardize the deal.

Mr. Netanyahu said on Friday that he had ordered the Israeli military to respond forcefully to the deaths of the tank crew, warning that Israel “will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks.” Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, called the Israeli attacks a “dangerous and reprehensible escalation.”

The spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmail Baghaei, condemned Israel’s operations in Lebanon and said that the United States bore “direct responsibility for the situation.” He added that Iran would take any measures “to safeguard its interests, security and the rights of itself and its allies.”

Some lawmakers in Israel, and some Republicans in Congress, have criticized the deal, which President Trump and President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran signed this week. Critics say it gives Iran significant economic relief while pushing tougher negotiations, including on Tehran’s nuclear program, to a later date.

Vice President JD Vance had been expected to fly to Switzerland for talks with Iranian officials, but the White House said late Thursday that his trip would be delayed. The United States was looking forward “to beginning technical talks as soon as possible,” a White House statement said.

At a news conference on Thursday, Mr. Vance issued an unusually direct rebuke to Israeli critics of the deal. “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” he said. “If I was 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.”

Here’s what else we’re covering.

Swiss talks: The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced the postponement of the talks, though it said that preparations to host them were continuing at a resort on Lake Lucerne.
Strait of Hormuz: Commercial transit out of the waterway has slowly picked up since Mr. Trump on Wednesday signed the agreement with Iran.
Economic repercussions: If the deal holds, billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets could be released.
Oil prices: The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, wavered as cracks emerged in the deal.
Defending the deal: Mr. Vance relied on vague and misleading claims to promote the peace agreement, asserting that Iran would gain little if it did not agree to U.S. demands in the next phase of negotiations.