War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says that consultations through mediators are ongoing on the next phase of talks with the US aimed at drafting a final agreement, after a planned meeting in Switzerland was postponed, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran, Baghaei says details of the next round will be announced once conditions for talks are in place.

US Senator Lindsey Graham has slammed anyone claiming Iran is stronger after the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed, calling it “an insult to the American military and it is delusional thinking because the Iranian economy is in shambles”.

“Mr President, continue to try to find a diplomatic solution to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and other issues that have plagued the world since 1979,” he adds in a post on X, addressing President Donald Trump.

“The day diplomacy is off the table will present America and our allies with some very stark choices. In the meantime, as we pursue diplomacy, make it crystal clear that Israel will not have to tolerate being attacked by Iranian proxies who cause parts of Israel to be uninhabitable.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says he had a “warm and most cordial telephone conversation” with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he thanked him for Riyadh’s support of Pakistan’s peace efforts.

“His Royal Highness’s (Mohammed bin Salman) wise leadership and the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to regional peace and stability remained vital guiding forces throughout this crisis,” PM Shehbaz writes, adding that he congratulated the Saudi crown prince on the signing of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

“We agreed that the next phase of negotiations must continue to be guided by a firm commitment to dialogue, diplomacy, and vigilance against any attempt to undermine the peace process,” the premier adds.

A Qatari delegation has met the Swiss foreign minister at Buergenstock, the city where US-Iran talks were slated for today before being postponed.

Doha’s foreign ministry says both sides “reviewed the relations of cooperation between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, and discussed the latest regional developments, particularly the diplomatic efforts being made to enhance security and stability in the region, following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani pledged Doha’s full support for the start of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

He further pledged support “to reach sustainable solutions to the outstanding issues through dialogue and peaceful means, in a way that enhances regional security, contributes to opening new horizons for cooperation, development, and prosperity, and achieves the common interests of the peoples of the region and the world.”

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has delivered a speech at a Central Ashura Council ceremony in Beirut’s southern suburbs, hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was reported to have taken effect, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking at the Sayyed al-Shuhada complex in Dahiyeh, Qassem says Hezbollah remains committed to the principles of resistance and the liberation of occupied land, while maintaining that the group has operated within the framework of Lebanon’s constitution and the Taif Agreement.

He adds that Hezbollah rejects foreign domination, occupation and political dependency, and frames the group’s actions as part of a broader struggle against what it sees as injustice and external interference.

According to Qassem: “Every step in which we reject occupation counts as a victory for us, adding that when the enemy confronts us with weapons, we confront it with weapons.”

Brent crude ticked slightly higher on Friday but was still on track for a more than 8 per cent weekly decline after Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire and tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased, Reuters reports.

Brent crude futures were up 20 cents, or 0.25pc, at $80.05 a barrel by 10:55am ET (7:55pm PKT), while US West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was up 25 cents, or 0.33pc, at $76.85 per barrel.

Trading volumes were light due to a US federal holiday.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health says intense Israeli air strikes from midnight until this afternoon have killed 47 people and wounded 97 others across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, Al Jazeera reports.

The worst attack has been reported in Harouf, where nine people, including three women, were killed and 14 wounded.

Elsewhere, six people have been killed in al-Duweir, including a child and a woman, while seven people were killed in Haboush. Three people, including a child, were killed in Arab Salim and three died in Tal Abyad near Baalbek, the ministry said.

Casualties have also been reported in al-Sharqiyah, Kfarsir, al-Qatrani, Nabatieh, Deir al-Zahrani, Kfar Rumman, Kfar Jouz, Jebchit, Qaqaiyat al-Jisr, Adshit, al-Rayhan, Abba, al-Abbasiya and Ain Bourdai.

The ministry adds that 3,980 people have been killed and 12,001 wounded in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2.

Lebanese state media reported an Israeli airstrike on the country’s south on Friday, soon after a US official said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed upon a ceasefire, AFP reports.

The official National News Agency (NNA) says the strike targeted the area of Jezzine “a short while ago”, adding that one of its journalists reported drones flying over the Tyre area.

An AFP correspondent also reports hearing continuous artillery shelling in the city of Nabatieh.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran, commending Pakistan’s role as a mediator.

“We look forward to the two parties reaching a permanent agreement that enhances security in the region and ensures respect for the sovereignty of states,” he says in a post on X.

“We also commend the exceptional mediation efforts exerted by our brothers in Pakistan and Qatar, as well as the sister and friendly countries, to reach this stage.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has congratulated Iran’s leadership on the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during a call with Tehran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi.

According to the Foreign Office (FO), Dar “also conveyed his best wishes for the commencement of the next phase of negotiations, expressing hope that the process would move smoothly and yield positive outcomes”.

The FO adds that both foreign ministers exchanged views on regional developments and expressed concern over ceasefire violations by Israel in Lebanon.

Araghchi expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s sustained mediation efforts, as well as for the repatriation of 30 Iranian nationals.

They have agreed to remain in close contact.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has denied reports that Tehran invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear facilities, Al Jazeera reports.

He notes that, as pointed out in the MoU, Iran will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear programme pending a final deal with the US.

“Inspections of facilities that have been carried out until now, such as at Bushehr, will continue,” he says.

Inspections of other facilities, for which the IAEA’s access was suspended due to the war, will depend on the process and outcome of the negotiations, Baghaei adds.

The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) has reported that 265 children have been killed in Gaza since a “ceasefire” was announced in October, and more than 400 have been injured, according to Al Jazeera.

“During a period supposedly defined by restraint and protection, a child has been killed, on average, every single day for more than eight months,” Unicef spokesperson James Elder says, adding that this is an “absurd and devastating” amount.

He points out that “they were shot, they were bombed, they were struck by quadcopters” and that in “the vast, vast majority — 90 per cent plus” of cases, they were killed by Israeli forces.

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), the body which governs the waters of the Strait of Hormuz, has said in a notice that vessels intending to pass through the strategic waterway must submit transit requests “during the period specified in the MoU (memorandum of understanding)” signed by the US and Iran.

The notice adds that the vessel’s valid and accessible contact information must be provided in the submitted request and to avoid delays, transit requests must be submitted 48 hours prior to arriving at the Strait of Hormuz.

“During the 60-day period, tariffs for security, safety, and environmental services, as well as related Iranian insurances, will not be collected from shipowners and will be borne by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the PGSA adds.

It notes that due to the presence of mines in the waterway and the necessity of ensuring safe passage and preventing collisions, “coordination of the designated route and scheduled passage time for each vessel prior to moving toward the Strait is mandatory; failure to comply shall be the responsibility of the vessel owner”.

Israeli airstrikes and bombardments have killed at least 47 people and wounded 97 others in Lebanon, AFP reports, citing the latest updated toll from the Lebanese health ministry.

The dead included at least seven women and two children and the figures were released as a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was due to start.

The Israeli military has claimed that air raid alerts have been activated for a “hostile aircraft incursion” in Zre’it’s airspace in northern Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

It said details of the incident were under investigation.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has denied reports claiming that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed.

“Some media reports claiming the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are not true,” he says in comments carried by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.

“The armed forces of Iran, in accordance with the memorandum of understanding to end the war dated June 18, 2026, have taken the necessary measures to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, and shipping in this route is currently underway.”

At least 12 Israeli air strikes and ongoing artillery shelling have been reported in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire was reported to have taken effect, Al Jazeera reports.

Local time air strikes:

• 6pm – Air strike on Kfar Rumman
• 6:05pm – Air strike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa
• 6:10pm – Air strike on Kfar Sir
• 6:14pm – Second air strike on Kfar Sir
• 6:17pm – Air strike on the Nabatieh–Zibdin–Choukin area
• 6:20pm – Second air strike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa
• 6:25pm – Third air strike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa
• 6:25pm – Air strike on Jabal al-Rafie
• 6:36pm – Air strike on al-Rayhan
• 6:41pm – Air strike on Adshit
• 6:41pm – Air strike on Masir Haboush
• 6:45pm – Third air strike on Kfar Sir

In addition, continuous artillery shelling has also been reported in Nabatieh and surrounding areas since 6:48pm PKT.

A planned meeting between Iranian and US officials in Switzerland on Friday has been postponed, with arrangements underway for talks in the coming days, Reuters reports citing Iran’s foreign ministry.

The ministry says the meeting is no longer urgent because a memorandum of understanding on ending the war had already been signed digitally between the two sides.

Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei adds that negotiations on a final agreement depend on the start and continued implementation of the specified terms outlined in the memorandum.

The Israeli military has said that it has struck more than 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon since midnight, amid reports of a ceasefire between the two sides that was set to begin at 4pm local time (6pm PKT), Al Jazeera reports.

This follows the military’s earlier update in which it said it had hit 80 Hezbollah targets and killed dozens of the group’s fighters overnight.

A Gulf diplomat has confirmed an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire was brokered on by Qatar, the US and Iran, after deadly exchanges put immediate strain on the US-Iran peace deal.

“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to halt hostilities in a deal mediated by Qatar, the US, and Iran,” the diplomat tells AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

“The ceasefire is expected to go into effect on Friday afternoon local time,” the diplomat adds.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says that “by the grace of Allah, peace became possible amid tensions in the Middle East through Pakistan’s mediation”.

In a statement, the premier adds that the historic Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed and Allah Almighty “bestowed this honour upon all Pakistanis”.

He has expressed gratitude to Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his “tireless efforts and professional capabilities, which made this peace agreement possible”.

PM Shehbaz has also paid tribute to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and the federal government, “who worked with sincerity and dedication in these peace efforts”.

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire beginning at 4pm local time (6pm PKT), a senior US official tells Reuters, after hostilities between them had escalated sharply overnight in Lebanon.

“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire,” the official says, adding that negotiators for the US and Qataris have worked out the deal with help from Iran.

“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” the official adds.