First US-Iran negotiations still scheduled for Friday in Switzerland; Israeli drone strikes kill 3 in Nabatieh, south Lebanon | LIVE

Israel targets Lebanese Army, rescue workers, and residents in Haddatha

The Israeli army targeted Lebanese Army, rescue workers, and civilians in Haddatha (Bint Jbeil) while they were searching for bodies under the rubble or inspecting homes.

An Israeli remote-controlled vehicle moved toward them, while gunfire targeted an excavator. Heavy fire was also heard again as some people attempted to clear an earth mound erected by the Israeli army, causing panic among residents.

Rescue teams then escorted residents out of the village, while the excavator stopped its work.

Iranian President praises 'historic' agreement with US to end war

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian praised on Thursday a “historic” agreement with the United States to end the war in the Middle East, a day after the document was signed by Donald Trump and himself.

“This is a historic document and a message from a powerful Iran: peace will be established in mutual respect,” the president said on social media.

Israeli army publishes a new map of its 'operational zone' in southern Lebanon, wider than the previous one

The Israeli army has released a map of its “operational zone” in southern Lebanon, via Arabic-language military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, covering a wider area than the one previously claimed by Israel.

The boundary line of this Israel-imposed zone extends to areas that the Israeli army has recently taken control of or is continuing to advance toward, and which were not included in the previous “buffer zone,” including Majdal Zoun in the Sour district in the eastern sector, as well as the Ali Taher hills southeast of Nabatieh.

In his message accompanying the map, Avichay Adraee stressed that this “security” zone extends “up to approximately 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory.”

Iran says its missile program is not on the negotiating table

Iran said on Thursday that its missile program is not part of the upcoming negotiations with the United States, a day after the signing of a memorandum of understanding to end the war in the Middle East.

“Iranian missiles are meant to be fired, not negotiated,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmael Baghaei in an interview with state television. “Iran’s defense capabilities will not be subject to any discussions, in any way, with anyone.”

Roads in south Lebanon reopened by residents and Lebanese Army toward several villages in the Bint Jbeil district

Residents of Haddatha (Bint Jbeil) were able to access the village square and eastern neighborhoods under the escort of the Lebanese army and rescue teams from the Islamic Scouts (al-Rissala, affiliated with the Amal Movement) and the Islamic Health Committee (Hezbollah’s emergency services), according to our correspondent. Work is underway to recover bodies from the rubble and reopen additional roads. Clashes had taken place around and inside Haddatha between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which had sought to take control of the locality located north of the “buffer zone.”

In addition, bulldozers from the municipalities of Shaqra and Debbieh (Bint Jbeil) have begun clearing and reopening roads in those villages.

A body recovered near Lake Qaraoun in the Bekaa

The body of a Syrian man killed in an Israeli strike on May 26 near Lake Qaraoun in the Bekaa was recovered this morning. That day was marked by heavy Israeli strikes along the road bordering the lake.

The body was transported by the Islamic Health Committee (a Hezbollah-affiliated rescue organization), according to our correspondent in the region.

A French LNG vessel crosses the Strait of Hormuz, a first since the start of the war

A French-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has exited the Gulf by crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, following the signing of an agreement paving the way for an end to the conflict in the Middle East that had disrupted this strategic maritime route, according to MarineTraffic data.

The Mraikh, owned by the Nantes-based subsidiary of Norway’s Knutsen OAS Shipping, is carrying 76,535 tons of LNG loaded in Ras Laffan, Qatar, and is headed to Port Qasim, Pakistan, according to ship-tracking platform Kpler. This comes a day after the U.S. and Iranian presidents signed a memorandum of understanding in which Tehran committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump: those who criticize the Iran agreement are 'fools' and 'either jealous, bad people, or stupid’

Donald Trump on Thursday denounced, on his social network Truth Social, those criticizing the memorandum of understanding signed the previous day with Iran to end the war, saying it is too favorable to the Islamic Republic.

“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are “tumbling” down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” he wrote.

Iran/US agreement: 'First negotiations' still scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, Bern says

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that “first negotiations” will take place on Friday near Lucerne (central Switzerland) on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.

“At present, it is still planned that the United States and Iran, as well as the mediators Pakistan and Qatar, will meet tomorrow at the Bürgenstock to begin the first negotiations on the implementation of the agreement,” the ministry said, clarifying uncertainty surrounding the meeting, which had been announced on Tuesday at a luxury hotel in Bürgenstock, a mountain overlooking Lake Lucerne in central Switzerland.

Israeli drone strike on Kfar Tibnit kills 2 more; 1 person killed in Zibdin

The death toll from the earlier reported drone strike on a car in Kfar Tibnit, southeast of Nabatieh, has risen to two after the injured person succumbed to their wounds, according to our correspondent in south Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah.

In addition, another drone strike on Zibdin, a town located directly west of Nabatieh, killed the driver of the targeted vehicle.

Israeli Foreign Minister says he is breaking off all contact with the EU’s foreign policy chief

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced that he is “breaking off all contact” with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. The decision comes in protest against recent statements attributed to Kallas in which she compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.

In a message on X, Saar said Ms. Kallas shows “blatant bias” toward the State of Israel and criticized the fact that no “denial, clarification or response” had been issued by the European diplomat regarding the statements attributed to her. He said he would suspend all contact with Kaja Kallas until she retracts them.

Last Friday, the Brussels-based media outlet Euractiv reported that the EU official had made these remarks during a closed-door meeting while on a visit to Mexico in May.

Israel in talks with US over continuing its Lebanon troop deployment, Reuters reports

Israel is holding negotiations with the U.S. as it seeks to continue its deployment of troops in southern Lebanon, two Israeli officials including a senior Israeli official close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters.

The senior Israeli official said that Israel was "conducting stubborn negotiations" with Washington over continuing its deployment of troops in southern Lebanon.

He added that Israel would not back down on its positions, including keeping troops deployed in the area south of the Litani River.

A second Israeli official told Reuters that the outcome of the talks would ultimately depend on whether U.S. President Donald Trump "decides to force the issue" by threatening repercussions if Israel does not abide by the interim Iran pact's terms.

Two injured in a drone attack in Beit Yahoun

An Israeli army drone dropped a bomb on the town of Beit Yahoun (Bint Jbeil) targeting civilians, injuring a Lebanese national and a Syrian, according to our correspondent in south Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah. In addition, another drone targeted an area between Haddatha and Haris (Bint Jbeil).

Oil prices drop more than 3% after US/Iran agreement signing

Oil prices continued to decline on Thursday at the end of Asian trading, falling more than 3% in a market reassured after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, which includes, among other measures, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

At around 06:25 GMT, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 3.40% at $74.18 per barrel, while Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell 3.02% to $77.15.

US/Iran agreement: IAEA says it is ready to move forward with 'concrete measures'

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Thursday it is ready to begin defining the “concrete measures” that will need to be taken following the signing of the agreement between Iran and the United States, which provides for the dilution of Iranian uranium stocks under the organization’s supervision.

“Now it is up to us to sit down with our American and Iranian counterparts and begin defining the concrete measures that will need to be taken” as part of negotiations to be held within 60 days, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, speaking to the press in Geneva.

Beijing 'welcomes' Iran and US agreement to end hostilities

Beijing said it welcomes the American and Iranian presidents' signing of a memorandum of understanding providing for the immediate cessation of hostilities, and called on both sides to make compromises in the next phase of their negotiations.

The signing “has a positive significance for easing tensions and strengthening the ceasefire momentum. China welcomes this development,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. “China hopes that both the United States and Iran will approach the second phase of negotiations in a rational and pragmatic manner and make reciprocal concessions,” he added during a regular press briefing in Beijing.

Overnight exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli army in Nabatieh area

Shortly after 1 a.m., information from our correspondent indicated that Hezbollah attempted to bring down an Israeli helicopter conducting a reconnaissance mission near the strategic Ali Taher hill in the Nabatieh district using machine-gun fire.

According to local sources, the helicopter was targeted by a surface-to-air missile, forcing it to withdraw from the area. Several missiles were also fired at Israeli vehicles near Kfar Tibnit. Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for these attacks.

Elsewhere in the Nabatieh district, the towns of Kfar Roummane, Habboush, and Kfar Joz were targeted by artillery fire after 2 a.m., causing fires. At midnight, Israeli forces fired machine guns toward the Wadi al-Slouki area and the outskirts of the town of Houla (Marjayoun).

On Wednesday, the Israeli air force bombed two localities in south Lebanon. Drones and helicopters targeted three areas in three different towns, while seven towns came under artillery fire.

Hezbollah, for its part, did not claim any attacks during the day, although rocket fire on Israeli positions was observed at least once in the Nabatieh area.

South Lebanon: 1 killed, 1 seriously injured in a drone strike between Kfar Tibnit and Nabatieh

The fragile calm that had prevailed overnight from Wednesday to Thursday was broken this morning shortly before 9 a.m., when an Israeli military drone fired a missile at a car at the roundabout connecting Kfar Tibnit and Nabatieh, killing one person and seriously injuring another, according to our correspondent. Artillery fire then targeted Nabatiyeh Fawqa, which was struck by several missiles, according to our South Lebanon correspondent, Mountasser Abdallah.

At 7 a.m., a powerful explosion was heard in Doueir (Nabatieh). The blast was caused by unexploded ordnance left over from the Israeli offensive on the Doueir–Hay al-Kreimat road. The explosion sparked a vegetation fire that was quickly extinguished by Civil Defense.

These incidents occurred in the Nabatieh area, which remains at the center of fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army despite the ceasefire that is officially in force under the agreement concluded last Sunday between Iran and the United States.

Israeli soldier killed in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army announced this morning the death of one of its soldiers the previous day during an incident in southern Lebanon in which seven other soldiers were wounded. The soldier, a 29-year-old master sergeant, “fell in combat in southern Lebanon,” the army said in a statement. The seven others suffered moderate or minor injuries.

Trump signed MOU with Iran from Versailles; Pezeshkian signed from Tehran

After the G7 summit, Donald Trump was invited to dinner at the Palace of Versailles by French President Emmanuel Macron and signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran later that evening. Under the memorandum, Tehran commits to immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz and, as part of future negotiations, to diluting its enriched uranium in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

The signing was initially scheduled to take place in Geneva but was ultimately conducted remotely, with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian signing the document on Iran’s behalf in Tehran.

Trump praises his 'great partnership' with Netanyahu; Lebanon a 'very small piece of the puzzle that still makes a lot of noise'

Donald Trump yesterday praised his “amazing partnership” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from the G7 summit in France, a shift in tone after his sharp criticism the previous day.

"Bibi is a good man. He gets a little excited sometimes. But we have an amazing partnership. We are the big partner and he is the very small partner," Trump said, according to remarks cited by AFP.

“We have a little dispute about Lebanon,” Trump acknowledged, as Iran is demanding that Israel halt its strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"I ‌say you can do a little softer touch, ⁠Bibi. ⁠You don't have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah," Trump added.

The U.S. president also promised a “parallel” discussion with Gulf countries regarding ballistic missiles.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of developments in Lebanon, where fighting continues in the Nabatieh area between Hezbollah and Israeli forces attempting to seize a strategic hill overlooking the region.

We will also be following developments across the Middle East after the U.S. and Iranian presidents signed a memorandum of understanding between their two countries remotely on Wednesday evening, launching 60 days of negotiations aimed at ending more than three months of war and tensions.

Catch up with our live coverage from Wednesday here and with today's Morning Brief here.