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Last Updated:June 20, 2026, 22:24 IST
Earlier, Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping after Israel launched another wave of strikes in Lebanon despite agreeing to a ceasefire.
Israeli strikes killed 20 people in Lebanon. (Reuters)
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that the agreement signed between Iran and the United States to halt the war will be “in trouble" unless its provisions are implemented soon, as continued Israeli attacks in Lebanon threatened to derail a fragile truce in the region.
“The other side must take the necessary measures as soon as possible. Otherwise, the entire understanding will be in trouble," said Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, after Israeli strikes killed more than 20 people in southern Lebanon.
One of the conditions of the US-Iran agreement is a halt to fighting in Lebanon. However, Israel has refused to withdraw its troops from Lebanon and launched attacks on Hezbollah targets despite a truce taking effect on Friday.
US-Iran Technical Talks On Sunday
Meanwhile, Pakistan said technical talks to implement the US-Iran deal to end the war would be held in Switzerland on Sunday. “As a follow-up to the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, technical-level talks will be held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on 21 June," said the Pakistani foreign ministry on Saturday.
A high-level Iranian team has also departed for Switzerland on Saturday for talks with the United States, according to Iranian media reports. The Iranian delegation was being led by chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi along with other senior security, central bank and oil officials.
Tehran Shuts Strait Of Hormuz
Hours before the announcement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared the Strait of Hormuz shut for commercial shipping, accusing the US of “blatant violation" of the deal amid continued Israeli presence in Lebanon.
Iranian vessels would be at risk if they approached. It also said it was the “first step" in response to the violation of the peace agreement and warned of further measures if the “aggression continues." However, US Central Command said 55 merchant ships had transited the Strait on Saturday.
JD Vance To Go To Switzerland Soon
US Vice President JD Vance also indicated that he would set off soon for meetings with Iran in Switzerland. Vance told Fox News in an interview that he was confident the ceasefire agreed in Washington’s 14-point deal with Tehran would hold, and that he saw no evidence that Hormuz was closed.
Vance said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland, handling “some of the technical elements" of the talks, and had reported that “things are going well."
The Switzerland talks are intended to open a two-month negotiating period on unresolved issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
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About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int...Read More
News world Iran Warns US Deal 'In Trouble'; Technical Talks On Sunday Amid Israel-Hezbollah Tensions | Top Updates
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