Lebanon ceasefire agreed after US-Iran talks in Switzerland scrapped

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after an escalation in fighting there jeopardised the chances of an interim agreement on ending the war in Iran turning into a lasting Middle East peace deal.



U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland planned for Friday were earlier called off as fighting flared in Lebanon, creating new uncertainty about the timing of negotiations vital to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.



The White House did not give a detailed reason for the postponement, but said in a statement on Thursday night that the logistics of the negotiations "have never been simple or predictable."



U.S. President Donald Trump later told NBC News he had spoken with Israel and asked it to agree to the ceasefire.



"You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head," Trump was quoted as saying by an NBC reporter on X, who added that the president had declined to specify whether he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly.