US Iran Peace deal news Highlights: Trump hits back at Iran leader - ‘We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did’

At least 47 people were killed and 97 injured in Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.

Israel said four soldiers were killed and several others wounded after a tank was hit in an attack attributed to a drone or anti-tank missile.

The Israeli military said it carried out more than 150 strikes in Lebanon, targeting command centres, launch positions and Hezbollah-linked infrastructure.

A US-and Qatar-brokered ceasefire emerged later.

According to The Washington Post, US intelligence agencies have warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may take actions that could undermine President Donald Trump's efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement with Iran.

Intelligence assessments reportedly suggest Netanyahu is under significant domestic political pressure to continue Israel's military campaign in Lebanon.

US intelligence officials believe Israel intends to maintain military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Continued Israeli military action would conflict with a key provision of the emerging US-Iran peace framework, which calls for an end to hostilities in Lebanon.

A major point of disagreement continues to be Israel's military deployment in southern Lebanon.

Iran insists that Israeli forces must withdraw from occupied areas, while Israel argues that maintaining a security zone is necessary to protect communities in northern Israel.

Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as security conditions require.

The dispute remains one of the most difficult issues facing mediators seeking a durable ceasefire.

Planned negotiations between the United States and Iran were postponed on Friday after renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon threatened to destabilize a fragile regional peace process, AP reported citing officials.

The talks, scheduled to take place in Switzerland, were called off after Iran insisted that hostilities in Lebanon must stop before negotiations could proceed.

Hours later, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to renew their ceasefire following mediation efforts involving the United States, Qatar, and Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military's series of airstrikes against what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure and military positions in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

"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."

Israel's military said four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed during attacks near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. Another five soldiers were reportedly wounded in a drone strike.

In response, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure and military positions in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 21 people were killed in Israeli attacks.

US President Donald Trump rejected Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's claim that Washington agreed to the recent US-Iran deal "out of desperation."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump insisted that Iran—not the United States—was under pressure to negotiate.

"We didn't meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED!" Trump wrote.

Trump said the US would proceed with the 60-day negotiation period outlined in the memorandum signed earlier this week.

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a new ceasefire after deadly exchanges in southern Lebanon threatened to derail broader diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran aimed at ending months of conflict across the Middle East.

A US official confirmed that the truce took effect on Friday, AP reported.

The discount on Russia's Urals crude narrowed to about $4 per barrel below Brent in Indian ports as easing tensions in the Middle East improved market sentiment, sources said.

The body overseeing Iran's Strait of Hormuz said vessels will not be charged any transit fees for the next 60 days.

Netanyahu says Israeli army will stay in Lebanon 'as long as necessary'

Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz rebounded sharply on Thursday, with 25 vessels crossing the waterway — the highest daily total since April 18, according to maritime tracking firm AXSMarine.

The surge followed an Iran-US agreement to reopen the strategic shipping route after months of disruption caused by the conflict that began in late February. AXSMarine said the June 18 total was more than five times the average daily crossings recorded during the first 10 days of June.

Before the war, roughly 120 vessels transited the strait each day, according to Lloyd's List.

Far-right Israeli ministers escalated their rhetoric Friday following the announcement of four Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared "all of Lebanon must burn," adding that "for every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed the sentiment, calling on Israel to "go wild" and "open the gates of hell."

The statements come despite a US-Iran deal meant to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with Washington already expressing frustration over Israel's continued military campaign in Lebanon.

Israel’s military said Friday its forces 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. (AP)

South Korean shares ended lower on Friday, after hitting an all-time high, amid uncertainty over the Middle East conflict. The benchmark KOSPI closed down 11.42 points, or 0.13%, at 9,052.42. During the session, it rose as much as 3.55% to a record high.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday welcomed the peace agreement between the United States and Iran, saying that India, as a "peace-loving country," should support the development because of its potential benefits for both the country and the wider international community.

Emphasising the importance of the deal, Tharoor said the agreement could facilitate the resumption of key supplies that had been disrupted by the conflict, helping ease concerns arising from the prolonged tensions in the region.

“The point is we have had a lot of experience in our country. In Asia, even in South Korea, factories were closing down. So, in this situation, when a solution comes, peace comes; it's good for everyone, it's good for the world,” Tharoor said, according to ANI.

He further stressed the economic advantages for India, especially regarding the import of essential commodities.

"We hope that after this, our oil and gas, our fertiliser, our aluminium supplies that used to come from there, many supplies that were stuck there, will all be able to come. So, after all this comes, I think the entire country and the world will benefit from it," Tharoor added.

France wants to play a role in talks dealing with Iran's nuclear programme and will not approve the lifting of UN sanctions unless it is satisfied by the terms of a final accord, its foreign minister said on Friday.

Jean-Noel Barrot, whose country is a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, told broadcaster franceinfo there would be no stability in the region unless U.S. talks with Iran also dealt with Iran's ballistic missile programme and support for proxies.

"The return for major concessions that will be asked of Iran is the lifting of sanctions, sanctions that were taken at the United Nations," he said.

"France is a permanent member of the United Nations (Security Council) so as was the case 10 years ago, France will have to give its approval for the sanctions to be lifted."

— Reuters

South Korean shares ended lower on Friday, after hitting an all-time high, amid uncertainty over the Middle East conflict. The benchmark KOSPI closed down 11.42 points, or 0.13%, at 9,052.42. During the session, it rose as much as 3.55% to a record high.

For the week, the index rose 11.4%, the biggest since early May. ** Talks that had been planned for Friday between the United States and Iran at the Burgenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland will not take place, according to a statement from the Swiss foreign ministry.

— Reuters

Talks that had been planned for Friday between the United States and Iran at the Burgenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland have been postponed, according to a Swiss foreign ministry statement.

Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks and the relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing, the statement added.

– Reuters

Israel’s military said Friday its forces 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.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported at least 16 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes, which the Israeli military said were ongoing. Israel, meantime, said four of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon, including a lieutenant colonel.

– AP