US-Iran talks postponed as Israel launches deadly strikes in Lebanon

A new round of direct talks between the US and Iran have been postponed after Vice-President JD Vance delayed a planned trip to Switzerland.

The White House announced late on Thursday that Vance would not be travelling to the talks and said the logistics had not been “simple or predictable”.

It comes a day after the US dropped its naval blockade of Iran after the two countries signed a deal aimed at ending the conflict.

While the deal also said fighting should end in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry reported Israeli strikes had killed at least 47 people overnight and into Friday.

Israel’s military said it had targeted the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, and that four of its own soldiers had been killed.

Hours before the White House issued its statement, Hezbollah-linked Lebanese media reported that the talks had been suspended due to ongoing Israeli air strikes.

But later, on Friday, a US official said an immediate ceasefire had been agreed between Israel and Hezbollah to end the fighting in Lebanon, coming into force at 16:00 local time (14:00 BST).

Confirming the agreement, Israeli military spokesperson, Brig Gen Effie Defrin, said: “We are in a ceasefire. The [Israel Defense Forces] IDF is prepared to continue fighting if called upon to do so.”

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect after US and Iranian negotiators had been due to meet for what US officials described as “technical discussions” on the next steps of the US-Iran deal agreed earlier this week.

That deal calls for an end to hostilities on all fronts, and for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty to be respected.

Washington said plans for the next round of negotiations relating to the deal had “not been finalised”. It added that the US looked forward to “beginning technical talks as soon as possible”.

Switzerland’s foreign ministry later confirmed the talks at the Burgenstock mountaintop resort had been “postponed”, although it said preparations were continuing.

Swiss military and police officials had been patrolling the luxury hotel set high on a mountain overlooking Lake Lucerne, and a media centre had been set up for journalists.