Talks between U.S., Iran called off because of fighting in Lebanon, officials say

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective. First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming. Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day. Science For All The weekly newsletter from science writers takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers THEdge At the cutting edge of education and careers Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there Gender Agenda Stories from beyond the binary. The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features. Published - June 19, 2026 10:14 pm IST - Jerusalem Smoke rises in southern Lebanon following an Israeli strike after a senior Israeli official told Reuters on Friday that Israel and Hezbollah were in a ceasefire, as long as Hezbollah does not attack Israel, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, in northern Israel, June 19, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Talks between the U.S. and Iran were called off on Friday (June 19, 2026) after intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, officials said, raising questions about an initial agreement to end the war in Iran. Israel and the militant group later agreed to a ceasefire, three officials said. Word of the ceasefire came from two regional officials and a U.S. official. The truce was mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Iran, the regional officials said. The three officials were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. A Hezbollah official said mediators attempted to implement a new ceasefire and that an agreement could be announced soon, but he stopped short of confirming it was in place. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter. Also Read | Israeli Minister says ‘all of Lebanon must burn’ after four soldiers killed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately comment. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military has not received different instructions from the government. He said Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defence zone” and will continue doing so. Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, according to three regional officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations behind the scenes. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance also postponed his trip. Israel's military struck targets in southern and eastern Lebanon overnight, and Hezbollah reported intense fighting. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 21 people were killed, and Israel said four soldiers died. Also Read | JD Vance slams Israeli officials who criticised U.S.-Iran deal, deepening rift between allies The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group is the most precarious part of the Iran deal. Neither Israel nor the militant group signed the agreement — but it is supposed to end their fighting, and Iran has signalled its willingness to risk renewed war in the region for the sake of its interests in Lebanon and its most important regional ally. The interim deal has halted hostilities in Iran and the Gulf and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian attacks and threats all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway, creating a global energy crisis. But future talks are supposed to bring about a permanent end to the conflict, including addressing how to restrict Iran's nuclear program — the core issue over which Israel and the U.S. went to war on February 28. The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added. Israel then launched multiple strikes against “Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement, which accused the militant group of “blatant ceasefire violations.” Later, the military said it also struck targets in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris was hit. “Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a statement. Also Read | The U.S.-Iran ‘peace deal’ confronts spoiler Israel Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks were in response to what it called Israel's own violation of the ceasefire. It said the attacks came after

Talks between U.S., Iran called off because of fighting in Lebanon, officials say

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Talks between U.S., Iran called off because of fighting in Lebanon, officials say

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