Israel’s military struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight, as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war.

US-Iran Talks Delayed

Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland between Iran and the United States, which Vice President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend, were postponed as the fighting intensified. Mediators worked to reschedule the meetings crucial for starting talks over a permanent end to the Iran war, with much of the attention focused on Lebanon, regional officials said.

The Israeli military also said it struck targets in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley on Friday, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris was hit. The death toll in Lebanon rose sharply, with at least 18 people killed in Israeli airstrikes, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

Israel, meantime, said four of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, including a lieutenant colonel. An explosive drone attack hurt another five, it added.

Agreement Details

The deal aims to end the war and has reopened the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, while bringing the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran’s stranglehold on the strait had all but stopped the flow of oil through the key waterway.

President Donald Trump said he signed the agreement to avoid “economic catastrophe” in the U.S., after the war caused oil prices to skyrocket, made financial markets skittish and fueled inflation. After the signing of the agreement, more than 12.5 million barrels of oil were shipped through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night, the U.S. said.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.