IRAN WAR: Talks in Switzerland called off
· Toronto Sun
The start of U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland, which was scheduled for Friday, has been delayed, creating uncertainty over the timeline of reaching a permanent peace deal to end the three-month war in the Middle East.
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The talks were postponed after fighting intensified in southern Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, sources told Bloomberg.
The news outlet reported that Iran — which has insisted on a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of the interim peace deal — didn’t send a delegation to the talks.
The White House announced late Thursday that U.S. Vice President JD Vance would not be travelling to the talks in the Swiss Alps, citing logistical issues.
Switzerland’s foreign ministry later confirmed the talks at the ultra-luxe Burgenstock resort had been “postponed,” although it said preparations for the negotiations were continuing.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding at the Palace of Versailles in France Wednesday night, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the deal Thursday. The two did not meet in person.
The 14-point interim peace deal called for an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts — including Lebanon — and paved the way for a “final deal” in the next 60 days.
It’s unclear if postponement of talks would affect the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has picked up since Trump and Pezeshkian signed the agreement.
The MOU had called on Iran to restore toll-free passage for commercial vessels for at least 60 days, with full restoration of traffic within 30 days.
Shipping traffic through the waterway — critical for global energy supplies — appeared to thin early Friday, Bloomberg reported.
Here is the latest from the war in the Middle East on Tuesday:
Deadly clashes in southern Lebanon
Overnight clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah claimed four soldiers, the Israeli Defense Forces said.
Among the four killed — the first Israeli military deaths since the deal was announced — was a lieutenant colonel, the IDF said.
The announcement came after the IDF said it had carried out strikes across southern Lebanon against Hezbollah following what it called “repeated violations of the ceasefire” by the Iran-backed militant group
Lebanese officials claim 18 people were killed by Israeli strikes, which the Israeli military said it targeted 80 Hezbollah sites.
— with files from Bloomberg