Iran halts 60-day US talks after Israeli strikes in Lebanon

Iran-US negotiations in Switzerland face delays as regional tensions continue to rise.

Iran has reportedly suspended its 60-day negotiation process with the United States less than 24 hours after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), citing Israeli military strikes in southern Lebanon as a violation of the agreement.

According to Iranian state-linked media outlets Fars and Al-Mayadeen, Tehran has frozen the negotiation framework and postponed the first round of talks that was expected to take place in Switzerland.

Iranian officials argue that the Israeli strikes breached the first clause of the MoU and have said negotiations will remain suspended until they receive assurances that military operations in Lebanon have ceased and that the United States has fulfilled its commitments under the agreement.

Reports said Iran’s delegation had been preparing to depart for Switzerland before the trip was abruptly cancelled. The first round of US-Iran talks is now effectively on hold.

Iran warns of response to any US breach of MoU

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) warned that Tehran would respond if the United States violated the newly signed memorandum of understanding, Press TV reported.

Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon

Israel’s military said Friday, June 19, its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported at least 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes.

The attacks came as planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over their efforts to reach a permanent end to the Iran war were delayed.

Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon and its continued attacks on the Iranian-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah has been a key issue in the talks.

Israel maintains it must continue to hold the territory and have a free hand to battle Hezbollah as it has been launching attacks into northern Israel.

The talks being postponed trip comes after Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with Hezbollah, reported that Iran was delaying sending its delegation to Switzerland over ongoing Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon.

Khamenei endorses direct talks with US

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei endorsed direct negotiations with the United States late Thursday, June 18, in a statement carried by state media.

“It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s opinion,” he said.

It was Khamenei’s first public reaction to the agreement recently reached between Iran and the US to end hostilities. The supreme leader has not appeared in public since reportedly being wounded in a strike at the start of the war.

US lifts blockade on Iranian shipping

Meanwhile, the US military has formally lifted its blockade of Iranian shipping, according to a social media post by US Central Command on Thursday.

The announcement came hours after Vice President JD Vance told reporters that 12.5 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and that the military had allowed “north of a dozen ships to go through our naval blockade.”

However, US Central Command said US Navy vessels would remain in the area to ensure that all aspects of the agreement are followed and remain in effect.

The US Navy currently has more than a dozen ships deployed in the region.

With inputs from Associated Press.