Israeli strikes in Lebanon strain ceasefire and Iran talks

Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people Saturday, Lebanese civil defense officials and state media said, deepening doubts over a newly renewed ceasefire with Hezbollah and threatening U.S.-Iran negotiations tied to a broader effort to halt fighting across the region.

Al Jazeera reported a higher toll of at least 22 killed in Israeli strikes and drone attacks in Lebanon, citing Lebanese authorities and state media reports from multiple areas. Lebanon’s civil defense agency said strikes in the southern Nabatieh district killed 16 people and wounded 12. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike on Barish in the Tyre district killed four members of the same family — a father, a mother and their two children — and that another Israeli attack in the Bekaa Valley killed one person.

The attacks came hours after Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group announced a renewed ceasefire. The United States said Friday that Israel and Hezbollah had implemented the fresh truce at President Donald Trump’s request. Trump had said he asked Israel to halt strikes on Lebanon, and Israel’s ambassador to the United States said the country would cease “offensive operations.”

Lebanon’s National News Agency said a series of towns in the south were hit early Saturday. It reported that an airstrike on Arabsalim killed three people and a drone strike on Deir al-Zahrani killed one. At least seven people remained trapped under rubble, the agency said. Lebanon’s army said a soldier was killed between Kfar Rumman and Nabatieh. Al Jazeera, citing the Lebanese army, reported the soldier was killed in an Israeli attack on Kfar Reman.

The Israeli military said Hezbollah had breached the ceasefire by launching “more than 50 projectiles toward IDF soldiers operating in southern Lebanon” overnight. It said Israel struck Hezbollah targets in response. “The IDF remains committed to the ceasefire agreement,” the military said.

Hezbollah said it had “adhered to the ceasefire since Friday evening,” accusing Israel of making “false claims to justify its violation of the ceasefire.” Al Jazeera reported that Hezbollah said Saturday it had targeted Israeli troops that had advanced toward an area near Nabatieh overnight.

The flare-up has complicated planned talks between Washington and Tehran. Officials from the United States and Iran were expected to begin 60 days of negotiations in Switzerland on a “final” deal, but the talks were postponed. The negotiations are intended to address unresolved issues, including Iran’s nuclear program. A memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran this week committed to an immediate end to all fighting, including in Lebanon. Israel was not a direct party to that deal, but Iran has warned it would consider Israeli strikes a violation of its terms.

U.S. media reported that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were preparing for negotiations in Switzerland, though it remained unclear when Iranian officials would attend. Axios reported Witkoff was traveling there Friday, while CNN said Kushner was also expected to be in Switzerland. Vice President JD Vance, who had been expected to travel, postponed his trip, the White House said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected by some sources to travel to Switzerland on Saturday, but others said his trip could be delayed. The Iranian Students’ News Agency said Araghchi would meet Pakistan’s visiting Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Saturday. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said talks with mediator Pakistan were continuing as part of the next phase of negotiations.

A source from a mediating country told Al Jazeera that Araghchi had told counterparts Iran views a ceasefire in Lebanon as essential to the diplomatic process and that it could “make or break” the U.S.-Iran talks. Another source said Iranian officials wanted to see a ceasefire take hold before traveling to Switzerland.

The U.S. State Department said a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Washington on June 23 and 25 to “make progress toward a lasting peace.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday that “Lebanon’s bilateral negotiations with Israel represent the only feasible path to reconstruction, economic recovery, and ending recurrent cycles of violence,” according to the department.

IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Friday that Israeli forces would continue to operate in southern Lebanon and “do whatever is necessary to protect our civilians.”