At least 18 people were killed and 33 wounded in Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon overnight into Friday, the Lebanese health ministry reported, while the Israeli military confirmed four of its soldiers died when their tank was hit near Kfar Tebnit. The exchange, described by Lebanese state media as the heaviest bombardment in weeks, marks the deadliest escalation since the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that called for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Israel’s military said it struck more than 80 Hezbollah command centres, launch positions and infrastructure in response to what it termed repeated ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed group. The Israel Defense Forces also published a map of a security zone extending roughly 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory and stated that operations would continue beyond that zone to remove threats. Hezbollah, for its part, said its fighters had drawn an Israeli armoured and infantry platoon into a prepared engagement area near the Ali al-Taher hills, destroying three Merkava tanks with guided missiles and forcing a retreat under smoke cover. The group’s parliamentary bloc chief, Mohammad Raad, called on Lebanese authorities to pursue indirect negotiations but insisted Israel must fully comply with a halt to hostilities and begin a withdrawal within 60 days.

Viewed from Tehran, the renewed fighting and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to withdraw from southern Lebanon constitute a breach of the interim accord. Two regional officials told the Associated Press that Iran suspended its participation in direct talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland specifically over the violence and Netanyahu’s comments. The White House attributed the postponement of Vice President JD Vance’s trip to logistical issues, while confirming the US delegation remained ready to travel. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot publicly urged Washington to exert pressure on Israel to stop its operations, and said Paris was still working to convene an international conference to mobilise support for the Lebanese army.

The US-Iran deal, signed to avert what President Donald Trump called an economic catastrophe from soaring oil prices, reopened the Strait of Hormuz and set a 60-day framework for a final settlement covering sanctions relief, nuclear inspections and reconstruction funding. Israel and Hezbollah are not signatories, but the text requires respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Netanyahu, facing elections and pressure from far-right ministers who demanded that “all of Lebanon must burn” after the soldier deaths, has insisted Israeli forces will remain until the threat from Hezbollah is eliminated. Trump has publicly criticised Netanyahu’s approach, while Vance rebuked Israeli cabinet members who attacked the deal, reminding them that two-thirds of Israel’s defensive weapons were American-made and taxpayer-funded.

Mediators are now focused on calming the Lebanon front to salvage the broader diplomatic track. Switzerland’s foreign ministry confirmed the talks were postponed but said preparatory work at Bürgenstock was continuing. The dossier remains open, with the US delegation awaiting a new schedule and Iran demanding guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will cease as stipulated in the signed agreement.