Here's the latest
• Talks under pressure: Vice President JD Vance is no longer traveling to Switzerland for US-Iran negotiations today, with talks postponed. Iran has asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end before it resumes the talks, a diplomat told CNN.
• Deadly attacks in Lebanon: Israel and Hezbollah again traded attacks despite the US-Iran agreement declaring an end to their conflict. Four Israeli soldiers were killed overnight in one of the deadliest incidents for their military since the war began. Israeli strikes later killed at least 21 people in southern Lebanon.
• Strait of Hormuz: A total of 25 commercial ships crossed through the key waterway on Thursday - the most since April. Iran all but closed the strait during the war.
US has told Iran that Israel "has agreed to let it be" following strikes in Lebanon, source says
The US has “relayed” to Iran that Israel will not further escalate its attacks in Lebanon as the Trump administration seeks to get high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran on track, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Asked whether the US would provide those guarantees, a source said, “Hezbollah violated the ceasefire. Israel has agreed to let it be, which was relayed to the Iranians, and it’s up to Hezbollah to stop.”
CNN has reported Israel carried out a wave of deadly strikes across Lebanon Friday in response to a Hezbollah attack that killed four soldiers in southern Lebanon – despite the US-Iran agreement declaring an end to the conflict on all fronts.
Iran, meanwhile, has asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end before planned talks in Switzerland with Vice President JD Vance and other top officials can take place. Vance’s planned Thursday departure was postponed.
It’s not clear how the Trump administration relayed the information to the Iranians or whether it will be enough to reschedule the planned technical discussions.
As hardliners push for escalation in Lebanon, Netanyahu tests Trump’s limits
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure at home to escalate in Lebanon – once again – after four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack inside Lebanon overnight Friday.
But the Israeli leader, trapped between far-right politicians saying “all of Lebanon should burn” and a US president demanding an immediate end to the war, must decide how far he can go.
When Hezbollah rockets crossed into northern Israel last week, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to strike Beirut. And when Iran then fired ballistic missiles at Israel, President Donald Trump forced Israel to limit its response. He dismissed the Hezbollah projectiles as “very small and meaningless,” a virtually unthinkable statement from any American president… other than Trump.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Friday morning that it had struck 80 Hezbollah targets and killed “dozens of Hezbollah terrorists” following what it described as “repeated violations of the ceasefire.” According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, at least 21 people were killed in Israeli strikes on Friday.
Notably, the IDF did not strike Beirut, which could’ve risked an immediate exchange of fire with Iran and likely angered Trump as the US is determined to push forward with the nascent agreement with Iran that also ends the Lebanon war. The US is also hosting another round of Israel-Lebanon talks next week.
But Tehran is already using the leverage it has, demanding an end to the fighting in Lebanon before it’s willing to continue talks with the US.
That pressure to stop attacks in Lebanon can come only from Trump, who has boxed Israel in several times in what he will allow Netanyahu to do. On Friday, Netanyahu vowed that “Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for such attacks.” He said the IDF would not withdraw from the territory it occupies in southern Lebanon.
The statement also seems to indicate that Israel will not go further, at least for now. Trump is very much in the driver’s seat. And Netanyahu knows it.
Netanyahu instructs military to "strike Hezbollah with force" after soldiers’ deaths
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Hezbollah will pay “a very heavy price” after four soldiers were killed by an explosive device overnight, as hostilities with the Lebanese militant group flared.
“Following Hezbollah’s criminal attack, which constitutes a blatant violation of the ceasefire, I instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) last night to strike Hezbollah with force,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday.
“My directive is clear: Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for such attacks,” he added.
The four soldiers killed in southern Lebanon are the first Israeli deaths since the signing of a ceasefire deal between the US and Iran this week. Israel responded with a heavy barrage over Lebanon’s south, killing at least 21 people on Friday.
The Israeli prime minister reiterated that troops would “remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary in order to protect the communities of northern Israel.”
Why is there fighting in Lebanon and does it threaten the Iran deal?
Israel on Friday carried out a wave of deadly strikes across Lebanon in response to a Hezbollah attack that killed four soldiers in Lebanon – despite the US-Iran agreement declaring an end to the conflict on all fronts.
So where does this leave the Iran deal?
“The principal spoiler of any broader understanding with Iran remains Lebanon,” wrote Danny Citrinowitz, former head of the Iran branch of Israel’s military intelligence, adding that “the central question is how far the United States is prepared to go in enforcing a ceasefire that both sides interpret differently.”
The strikes came hours after the US and Iran postponed fresh talks in Switzerland, with US Vice-President JD Vance cancelling a trip.
On Friday, a diplomat with knowledge of the matter told CNN that Iran asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end before it resumes talks with the US.
Trump also said on social media this week that as part of the deal, “we expect a complete Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel.” But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously made it clear he has no plans to withdraw from southern Lebanon.
On Friday, far-right members of Netanyahu’s cabinet doubled down on the war in Lebanon after the killing of the Israeli soldiers. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said “all of Lebanon should burn” while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said “it is time to speak with fire.”
Meanwhile, Vance has grown increasingly impatient with Israel, saying: “If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
For now, Lebanon remains “the most fragile component of any prospective agreement,” between the US and Israel, Citrinowitz said.
At least 25 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz yesterday - the most since April
A total of 25 commercial ships crossed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday - the most since April, according to marine intelligence firm AXSMarine.
The sharp increase in marine traffic comes after the US and Iran on Wednesday signed an agreement that promised to “immediately” re-open the vital waterway.
“Yesterday, we observed 25 verified commercial vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz,” AXSMarine said in a post on social media on Friday. “That is the highest single-day count since 18 April, which came during a brief reopening window following Iran’s announcement that the strait was open to commercial traffic at the time. That window proved short-lived, making the 18 June count the strongest daily figure since that temporary surge.”
The 25 verified transits on Thursday is almost five times the average daily traffic during the first 10 days of June. However, it is still far below pre-war levels, when about 110 vessels crossed the strait every day on average. Before the conflict, about 20% of global oil passed through the strait. Its effective closure has led to spiking oil prices.
The true figure could be higher - AXSMarine’s data is taken from ships’ AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders. However, many ships have been turning off the mandatory marine tracking and collision-avoidance system to attempt to cross the strait without being tracked, .
“The rebound [in shipping traffic] came amid the largest AIS signal disruption event we have observed in the Persian Gulf since the conflict began, with over 200 commercial vessels affected simultaneously by spoofing or abnormal AIS behavior,” AXSMarine added.
Israeli attacks in Lebanon are straining the US-Iran agreement. Here's the latest
Tehran and Washington will not hold talks in Switzerland today as planned, the Swiss foreign ministry said, leaving teams working to finalize a deal within 60 days with even less time for negotiations.
Iranian officials are seeking guarantees that Israel’s offensive in Lebanon will stop before resuming the discussions, a diplomat told CNN. Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade fire in Lebanon, despite the agreement between Tehran and Washington declaring an end to “military operations on all fronts.”
Here’s what you need to know:
- More deadly attacks in Lebanon: Israeli attacks killed 18 people in Lebanon’s south overnight, with waves of strikes targeting populated areas in the Nabatieh district. The strikes came after four Israeli soldiers were killed in the south when a Hezbollah explosive hit a tank, the military said.
- Vance blasts Israel: US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that Israel’s offensive had impeded negotiations. He slammed Israeli officials who criticized US President Donald Trump, warning: “If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
- “All of Lebanon should burn”: Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said “all of Lebanon should burn” after the death of the soldiers, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said forces should “open the gates of hell.” Israeli forces occupy a broad swath of territory in southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear he has no intention of withdrawing from it, and some Israeli officials have likened the military campaign in Lebanon to that of Gaza.
- Strait of Hormuz recovery: Ship captains warned weeks could pass before the flow of maritime traffic returns to pre-war levels. Despite US insistence the strait will reopen without tolls, Iran’s national security council stated a newly created authority will manage vessels through the oil trade chokepoint.
Iran seeks guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end before resuming US talks, diplomat says
Iran has asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end before it resumes talks with the US in Switzerland, a diplomat with knowledge of the matter told CNN.
“The Iranians have asked for guarantees that hostilities in Lebanon will end, as outlined in the signed agreement,” the diplomat said, adding that “mediators are currently working to resolve the issue.”
The source described the planned talks as now “temporarily postponed following the Israeli strikes in Lebanon” without saying when mediators expect a resumption.
We're tracking the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
The US-Iran agreement promises that commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz “will immediately start.”
CNN is tracking the strait’s reopening and its traffic volumes in live maps and charts.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz — which Tehran effectively closed during the conflict — is a key part of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran. Before the war, around 20% of global oil production flowed through the waterway.
Under the MOU, the United States has until July 19 to fully lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran is expected to make its “best efforts” to restore traffic to pre-war levels over that same period.
Left unaddressed in the agreement is whether Iran will ultimately retain control over the strait.
“All of Lebanon should burn,” far-right Israeli minister says after 4 soldiers killed
Far-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said “all of Lebanon should burn” after a Hezbollah explosive device killed four Israeli soldiers on Lebanese territory overnight Friday.
“For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanon mothers should cry,” Ben Gvir said on X. “All of Lebanon should burn.”
Ben Gvir has repeatedly pushed for more intense Israeli strikes in Lebanon, including attacks on the capital Beirut, even as President Donald Trump has compelled Israel to scale back its attacks.
“With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for sacrifice,” Ben Gvir said.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said it was a “difficult morning,” also called for punishing strikes in Lebanon. “It is time to speak with fire,” he said on X. “To open the gates of hell.”
Israeli forces occupy a broad swath of territory in southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear he has no intention of withdrawing from it.
4 Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon in first Israeli deaths since Iran deal
Four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon overnight Friday in the first Israeli deaths since the signing of the Iran ceasefire deal.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the four soldiers were in a Merkava tank near Kfar Tebnit, an area the military has been targeting. A Hezbollah explosive device struck the tank, the IDF said, killing the soldiers inside who were the commanders of the 52nd Battalion.
The IDF identified one of the soldiers as Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimon. The military has not released the identities of the three other soldiers.
The incident occurred just two days after US President Donald Trump officially signed an agreement with Iran, which was supposed to end the fighting in Lebanon as well. It marks one of the deadliest incidents for Israeli forces in southern Lebanon since the war began.
The IDF said it is now reviewing whether an explosive drone entered through an open hatch on the tank or whether the tank was struck by an anti-tank missile or other type of drone.
Israel began carrying out a wave of powerful strikes across southern Lebanon following the incident. According to Lebanon’ Ministry of Public Health, Israeli strikes have killed at least 18 people on Friday, with the number expected to rise.
In a statement, Hezbollah said they lured a group of soldiers into the area and opened fire, “targeting three Merkava tanks with guided missiles, which led to their destruction.”
“The fighters continued their resistance against the enemy forces with the intense barrage of rockets and artillery shells,” Hezbollah said.
Is the Strait of Hormuz open?
As the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding, ships have begun to go through the Strait of Hormuz, according to marine traffic data. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports on what’s next for the vital shipping route.
As the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding, ships have begun to go through the Strait of Hormuz, according to marine traffic data. CNN’s Paula Hancocks reports on what is next for the vital shipping route.
Senior Iranian officials make clear a deep mistrust hangs over US agreement
Over the last few hours, there have been multiple statements from senior Iranian officials that make clear their deep mistrust of US intentions remains.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said he authorized the 14-point plan, hatched after months of fighting and failed negotiations, despite holding “a different view.” This echoes his late father’s signature weariness of US negotiators, an Iran expert told CNN.
“Taking a page from his father’s playbook, Mojtaba is hedging his bets in case Trump proves to be an unreliable negotiating partner,” Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director for the Crisis Group, said.
As a show of their doubt, top Iranian officials have vowed to sharply retaliate if the US violates the deal.
Iran’s powerful National Security Council — comprised of top security officials — further warned that “should any deviation or violation occur on the part of the United States, a reciprocal response will be carried out in accordance with a predetermined plan.”
For context: Throughout the conflict, the US has repeatedly used military action as a tool to pressure Iran into a deal, including this month, when it bombed Tehran amid stalled negotiations.
Iranian officials are also painfully aware that their country was bombed during previous periods of negotiations with the US since the war that broke out in late February.
Tehran’s deeply held mistrust of Washington is rooted in decades of interventions by the US, beginning with the CIA-backed 1953 coup that restored the autocratic Shah to power.
Here's some of what Trump told Axios about the US-Iran agreement
CNN’s Erin Burnett speaks to Axios’ Marc Caputo, who just sat down with President Donald Trump. Trump said the agreement “is unconditional surrender” by Iran and there are “no limits” to his power.
It could take weeks – or longer – for sailing in Strait of Hormuz to normalize, ship captains say
Ship captains say the Strait of Hormuz will reopen in a slow stream, not a rush, and it could take weeks or longer for maritime traffic to return to pre-war levels.
“It’s not just get up and go when the traffic light turns green,” Captain Samanth Baktavatsalam told CNN, noting the danger posed by mines in the waterway and a large backlog of ships.
The strait has been the subject of a blockade amid the conflict between the US and Iran. Its reopening is a key part of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
“Once everything settles down and it’s official that ships can safely transit, then it will become a logistics issue,” Baktavatsalam said in an interview from India Thursday.
Earlier this week, Kpler estimated around 220 tankers and 500 ships were stranded in the Persian Gulf.
Captain Abhijit Chopra, a seafarer currently stranded in the Gulf, believes traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will normalize by the end of July.
Chopra is a tanker master who, along with his crew of 22 seafarers, has been stuck in the region since late January.
During the conflict, an estimated 20,000 seafarers have been stranded in the Gulf.
Friday's US-Iran talks in Switzerland are off, foreign ministry says
Friday’s planned talks between Iran and the US at the mountain resort of Bürgenstock in Switzerland have been postponed, the Swiss foreign ministry told CNN.
Switzerland “remains ready to facilitate these talks,” the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
It did not give any details on future date for talks but said “the relevant preparatory work at Bürgenstock is continuing.”
On Thursday, the White House said US Vice President JD Vance would not be traveling to Switzerland as scheduled because plans for the talks had not been finalized.
Earlier Thursday, the vice president said he intended to travel to Switzerland, though he acknowledged the timing remained uncertain.
Israel launches new deadly strikes on Lebanon
At least 18 people have been killed and dozens more wounded after a heavy night of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, the country’s health ministry said, two days after an agreement to end the conflict was signed by Tehran and Washington.
Waves of airstrikes targeted populated areas in Lebanon’s Nabatieh district overnight, state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Israel’s military said it targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in response to “repeated” ceasefire violations by the Iran-backed militant group. The Israel Defense Forces said it “struck throughout the night and continues to strike” Hezbollah militants and infrastructure.
The US-Iran agreement declared an end to the war’s fighting on all fronts between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The strikes come hours after US Vice-President JD Vance had strong words for members of the Israeli government who criticized President Donald Trump over the agreement.
Trump "disconnected from reality" over Iran war handling, Rep. Adam Smith says
Rep. Adam Smith tells CNN’s Laura Coates that President Donald Trump’s agreement with Iran is not the “unconditional surrender” he claims. He says, “This war very clearly didn’t accomplish our goals,” and that “it put Iran in a stronger position.”
Where do US-Iran talks stand? Here's the latest
The United States and Iran now have 60 days to finalize a deal to end the war, but negotiations do not appear to be gaining momentum.
US Vice President JD Vance is no longer traveling to Switzerland for negotiations scheduled for today because plans for the talks had not been finalized, the White House said. It’s unclear when negotiating teams will next meet.
According to multiple sources, both sides have been working on laying out secret proposals for implementing the 14 points that were signed this week, including details on how to address the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
Here’s what else to know:
- Details to be ironed out: A Pakistani official source told CNN that the next phase of the agreement will proceed through “separate technical-level tracks on multiple issues under this comprehensive framework.” Pakistan has been a key mediator in the negotiations.
- Vance blasts Israel: Vance criticized the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, saying it got in the way of negotiations. In response to reports of Israeli displeasure with the agreement, he said, “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
- Iran’s warning: Iran’s National Security Council said it has plans to retaliate if the US violates the agreement. Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also warned the US that any breach of the agreement or excessive demands will be met with a “crushing response.”
- Trump’s view: In a clip published Thursday from an upcoming Axios interview, Trump suggested the agreement reached with Iran amounts to “unconditional surrender” and that “there are no limits” on his power as a result of the war.
- Latest on the strait: Iran’s Persian Gulf Waterway Management Authority will manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s Supreme National Security Council announced. The authority said vessels will not be charged application fees for 60 days. Trump has insisted the strait would reopen without tolls.
CNN’s Sophia Saifi, Aida Karimi, Alejandra Jaramillo, Mitchell McCluskey, Lauren Fox, Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju, Ellis Kim, Adam Cancryn and Caitlin Danaher contributed reporting.
Vance has stern message for Israeli officials who criticized Trump
US Vice President JD Vance had strong words for members of the Israeli government who have criticized President Donald Trump over the US-Iran agreement.
During a press briefing at the White House, Vice President JD Vance criticized Israeli operations in Lebanon, saying they’ve sometimes gotten in the way of negotiations. He also criticized members of the Israeli government for attacking President Trump over the US-Iran agreement.
US and Iran working on secret proposals for implementing agreement, sources say
The US and Iran have been working on laying out secret proposals for implementing the 14-point agreement that were signed this week, including details on how to address the future of Iran’s nuclear program, according to three US officials familiar with the negotiations, a regional official, and one former US official.
Vice President JD Vance indicated Thursday that at least some of what administration officials have been calling “gentleman’s agreements” with Iran that go beyond the memorandum of understanding are written agreements.
The sources emphasized that they are far from final. Iran has not signed any additional documents, as it did the memorandum of understanding, raising questions about whether the administration has overstated the commitments it has extracted from Iran and further emphasizing how quickly the fragile political effort to reach a final deal could fall apart.
US negotiators opted to move forward with releasing the signed MOU, without waiting for Iran’s senior leadership to sign off on the more detailed proposals on how to implement the 14 points, in part, because they did not want to delay the next phase of negotiations, according to one of the sources who is familiar with what Trump officials briefed to top congressional lawmakers.
CNN was unable to learn many details of the contents of the working proposals. The regional official described the written-down portions of the proposals as “working” documents that both sides have agreed to formalize as a next step. The sources said they include more specifics on what US negotiators are pursuing as the way forward for talks on Iran’s nuclear program, among other issues.
