A FRAGILE ceasefire has taken effect in southern Lebanon after a sharp escalation in fighting threatened to derail a broader interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran.
The cessation of hostilities has allowed diplomatic efforts to resume, with US President Donald Trump dispatching his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Switzerland for the first round of technical negotiations on a potential nuclear deal.
Reuters, on Saturday, reported that the developments follow an intense period of uncertainty after US Vice President JD Vance cancelled his plans to attend the Swiss talks, which were briefly called off amid heavy exchanges of fire.
President Trump confirmed he had intervened personally, urging caution and asking Israel to agree to the truce.
"You just gotta calm down sometimes and use your head," Trump was quoted as saying on social media by an NBC reporter, though the US president declined to specify whether he had spoken directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to a senior US official, the ceasefire commenced at approximately 4pm (local time) following a final flurry of cross-border fire.
The agreement was brokered by American and Qatari negotiators, with diplomatic assistance from Tehran. Both a senior Israeli official and sources within the Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement confirmed the truce.
"If Hezbollah does not attack us, then for us it is not a time of war," the Israeli official stated, noting that Israel intended to maintain its military presence within an occupied zone along its northern border in southern Lebanon.
Despite a dozen Israeli airstrikes reported by Lebanese security sources within the first hour of the agreement, the skies fell quiet after 5pm.
The preceding violence had taken a heavy toll, with the Lebanese health ministry reporting 47 fatalities and 97 injuries from overnight strikes, while the Israeli military confirmed the deaths of four soldiers in Lebanon.
The stabilisation of the Lebanese front is viewed as crucial, as the comprehensive interim accord signed earlier this week by the American and Iranian presidents requires an immediate and permanent termination of military operations across all fronts.
Israel, which is not a participant in the US-Iran talks, maintains that it is not bound by the wider deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned that Washington would be held accountable for any breaches of the agreement, including the maintenance of the ceasefire in Lebanon.
The initial memorandum of understanding provides a 60-day window to negotiate a lasting settlement on tougher issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.
While the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed that the technical talks in the mountain resort of Buergenstock had been postponed rather than cancelled, momentum is building elsewhere.
The US State Department confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun regarding upcoming Israel-Lebanon negotiations scheduled to take place in Washington from June 23-25.
Rubio reiterated the US position on the necessity of disarming Hezbollah and supporting a fully sovereign Lebanese state, while Aoun emphasised that a comprehensive ceasefire remained a fundamental pillar for the talks.
The conflict, which began in late February with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, has claimed at least 7,000 lives and severely disrupted global energy markets.
Following the ceasefire, Brent crude prices stabilised, heading toward a weekly decline of roughly 8 percent as shipping traffic began to recover through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian authority managing the strategic waterway announced it would waive planned transit fees during the 60-day negotiating period.
Under the terms of the interim memorandum, Iran stands to receive substantial economic sanctions relief, the unfreezing of tens of billions of dollars in assets, immediate US waivers on oil exports, and access to a US$300 billion reconstruction fund.
Facing criticism from congressional Republicans who argue the administration conceded too much ahead of the upcoming November midterm elections, Trump vigorously defended the framework.
"The War has diminished Iran!" Trump wrote in a social media post. "We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!"- June 20, 2026
