US-Iran deal negotiations on hold, Israeli airstrikes kill 18 in Lebanon

The Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed that the planned talks between the US and Iran are postponed, reported news agency ANI.

Switzerland's Foreign Ministry, responding to an email by ANI, said that it remains ready to facilitate these talks.

"The planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed. Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present," it said.

A White House spokesperson on Thursday (local time) said that US Vice President JD Vance will not depart for Switzerland for further talks as the plans for the talks have not been finalised.

The spokesperson said that a delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity.

"As the Vice President said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalised, and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity. But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable," the spokesperson said.

"As of now, the Vice President is not departing tonight. We will let you know as soon as we have a concrete update about next steps. We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible," they added.

Meanwhile, in Tehran the Iranian Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council announced that if the other side violates the agreement, countermeasures will be taken accordingly.

The council, as quoted by ISNA News Agency, said that "with complete distrust of the renegade and treaty-breaking enemy and with close monitoring of the negotiation process and implementation of plans, if any violations or violations are committed by the American side, countermeasures will be taken according to a predetermined plan."

Meanwhile, at least 18 people were killed and 33 others injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes on residential areas in southern Lebanon early Friday, the Lebanese Health Ministry's Public Health Emergency Operations Center said, reported Xinhua.

In a statement, the center said ongoing Israeli airstrikes had hampered rescue efforts and prevented the evacuation of victims in some affected areas, adding that the toll remained preliminary.

Lebanon's National News Agency has previously reported that 16 people were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on residential areas in southern Lebanon's Nabatieh district. The report said the strikes targeted the towns of Harouf, Sharqieh and Kfar Sir, while additional raids hit Kfar Remmen, Kfar Tebnit and other nearby localities, causing casualties, injuries and reports of missing persons.

Nabatieh and its surrounding areas witnessed one of the heaviest nights of bombardment in recent months as Israeli forces intensified attacks across the region. Beginning around 1:30 a.m. local time (2230 GMT Thursday), heavy artillery shelling struck Nabatieh city and the towns of Kfar Remmen, Zebdine, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, Habboush, Sajd and Jabal al-Rihan.

At approximately 2:10 a.m., Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes targeting Nabatieh city, Kfar Tebnit, Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the Rihan Heights.

Around 3:00 a.m., Israeli aircraft carried out two waves of strikes on the Kfar Remmen-Nabatieh area, the university district of Nabatieh city and the Baydar neighborhood in Harouf, killing eight people, according to preliminary reports. Another strike targeted the area between the towns of Sharqiyeh and Doueir, destroying a house and killing four people.

Simultaneously, Israeli artillery heavily shelled the Rahibat neighborhood in Nabatieh city.

In Kfar Sir, an Israeli airstrike killed three people, while the town of Qsaybeh was hit by another strike around 4:00 a.m., accompanied by artillery shelling targeting the outskirts of Kfar Sir and Qsaybeh. Additional airstrikes later struck Kfardjal and Kfar Tebnit.

At about 5:00 a.m., an Israeli drone targeted a motorcycle near the Doueir municipality building, killing one person and injuring another.

The town of Jebchit was also subjected to a series of drone strikes, accompanied by artillery shelling.

Around 5:15 a.m., Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike on Adchit, followed by additional strikes on the Kfar Remmen-Nabatieh area and Toul, while artillery shelling continued to target Jebchit.

The attacks came despite a recent Iran-U.S. agreement aimed at de-escalating regional tensions, including in Lebanon, and amid continued diplomatic efforts to prevent a further escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

Israel says 4 soldiers killed in southern Lebanon

Four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Friday before dawn after an aerial object hit their tank, reported Xinhua.

Those killed during "combat" consisted of an armored battalion commander and three soldiers, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israeli media reports.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the incident occurred in the Kfar Tebnit village area, adding that the IDF is investigating whether the object that hit the tank was an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah.

In another incident in southern Lebanon later on Friday, an explosive drone fired by Hezbollah seriously wounded an Israeli officer and slightly wounded four other soldiers, the IDF said in a separate statement.