The start of a 60-day period of technical negotiations between Iran and the US in Geneva was postponed on 19 June, following a brutal Israeli escalation against south and east Lebanon.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that the talks have been pushed, with no new date provided.
US Vice President JD Vance canceled his flight to Switzerland. Tehran’s delegation also did not depart for the talks.
According to a diplomatic source cited by CNN, Tehran is demanding guarantees that Israeli attacks on Lebanon end before going ahead with talks.
“The Iranians have asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end, as outlined in the signed agreement. Mediators are currently working to resolve the issue,” the source said, adding that talks have been “temporarily postponed following the Israeli strikes in Lebanon.”
The postponement came as heavy Israeli airstrikes hit Nabatieh and elsewhere across south Lebanon.
Intense Israeli bombing targeted residential buildings in Dweir, Harouf, Kfar Rumman, Haboush, and Deir al-Zahrani, triggering a widespread wave of forced displacement toward Beirut.
An Israeli air raid on the Al-Jamaliyah area north of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon killed three people on Friday.
One person was also killed in the town of Jezzine in the south. Since Thursday evening, at least 18 people have been killed in Lebanon.
The airstrikes marked Israel’s deadly response to Hezbollah’s precise, overnight resistance operations targeting Israeli troops occupying south Lebanon.
Four Israeli soldiers were killed by Hezbollah operations early Friday morning. Hebrew newspaper Maariv reported a “disaster” among Israeli forces in south Lebanon.
“A suspicious target hit a tank … It is not known whether it was a drone or an anti-tank missile. The tank was severely damaged and caught fire. The four occupants of the tank were injured. Fighters rushed to rescue the injured, but a medical team was forced to declare them dead at the scene,” the newspaper said.
Hezbollah has vowed to continue fighting until Israel withdraws its troops from Lebanon and ends its attacks on the country.
“After the deadly ambush set by our fighters … a second Israeli force attempted to advance in order to evacuate the dead and wounded under heavy fire cover … The fighters of the Islamic Resistance then targeted this force with a volley of rockets and mortar shells, achieving confirmed casualties,” the resistance group said in a statement early on Friday.
Tel Aviv has expressed outrage over the newly signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran, which includes Lebanon.
Israeli officials have threatened to renew strikes against the Islamic Republic and demand continued freedom of action in Lebanon.
Tehran has warned that Israeli violations in Lebanon will be met with harsh retaliation.