Talks between the United States and Iran are postponed after new attacks by Israel in Lebanon

BarcelonaThe next phase of negotiations between the United States and Iran after the agreement announced on Wednesday is up in the air. The talks scheduled for this Friday in Switzerland will not take place, as communicated early this morning by the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The announcement comes after a White House spokesperson said overnight that US Vice President JD Vance had canceled his planned trip to meet with Iranian negotiators in Switzerland to begin talks on the implementation of the agreement reached between Tehran and Washington to end the war. The talks have been postponed sine die after Israel launched an attack in southern Lebanon that left at least 18 Lebanese dead, the deadliest since the truce came into effect. The agreement provides for a ceasefire "on all fronts" that includes Lebanon, a commitment that Benjamin Netanyahu's government has made clear it does not intend to respect. The Israeli army has admitted the deaths of four soldiers, including an officer, in clashes with the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, an ally of Tehran.

Vance had defended the agreement a few hours earlier against criticism against the White House for the agreed text, which constitutes a complete capitulation for the United States. In his appearance, the vice president had stated that he did not know when he would travel to Switzerland, where he was to preside over the symbolic "electronic" signing ceremony of the 14-point memorandum by presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian. The text establishes the conditions for a 60-day ceasefire to discuss the most thorny issues, such as the Iranian nuclear dossier. Initially, the United States said the ceremony would be held in Switzerland, but Iran later stated that there would be a commemoration and that the meeting in Switzerland would serve to advance the implementation of the agreement. Trump signed the document in the pomp of the reception offered to him by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday, but returned to the United States.

The White House has communicated that "plans for technical talks have not been completed" and that the United States delegation "is ready to travel as soon as the opportunity arises," alleging that "the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable." It also clarifies that the Trump administration wants to begin "these technical talks as soon as possible."

More deadly Israeli attacks in Lebanon

Although there is no official explanation, the latest wave of Israeli attacks against Lebanon, which occurred at midnight, is one of the most serious and coordinated since the interim agreement effectively came into force almost a week ago. There have been artillery and drone bombings in several towns. In the Nabatieh district, several buildings have been attacked until this morning. It appears that most of the victims are concentrated in a residential building in the town of Harouf. The Israeli army has confirmed the attacks in a statement, justifying them as a response to violations of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah militia. Furthermore, it assures that the attacks will continue.

On Friday morning, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded more attacks on Israel in revenge for the deaths of four soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces at the hands of Hezbollah. "All of Lebanon must burn!" he declared on X, adding: "With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the whole world that the blood of our children and the security of our citizens are not bargaining chips," and that "in the Middle East, you don't win with measured responses and restraint: you have to go crazy. Erase them. Crush the terror." Shortly after, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich joined him, declaring, also on X, that "it is time to speak with fire. To open the gates of hell." During the week, there have been sporadic deadly attacks in the south. Lebanese authorities estimate that 3,912 civilians have been killed by Israel since the current invasion began on March 2, and more than 12,000 have been injured.