Day of chaos in Middle East as Israel fights Hezbollah

Tit-for-tat strikes threaten to derail US-Iran peace talks until a hastily convened ceasefire in Lebanon eased tensions

- JAMES C. REYNOLDS

Talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland were abruptly called off yesterday, clouding prospects for a lasting truce as a major escalation in Lebanon sparked chaos in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened the tenuous agreement to end the war.

Switzerland’s foreign ministry told The Independent that talks at the mountaintop resort of Burgenstock had been postponed, without further explanation. Insiders said Iran had refused to attend after Israel ramped up airstrikes in Lebanon, killing at least 47 people, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

As renewed fighting in the region threatened to derail the peace process, Israel and Hezbollah suddenly agreed to a renewed ceasefire late yesterday afternoon. But on a chaotic day in the Middle East, Israeli airstrikes could still be seen across the border more than an hour after the truce was meant to take effect.

The sudden eruption of clashes provoked Tehran to fire warning shots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threaten that the vital waterway “will remain closed” until Israel withdraws from Lebanon and other terms of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) are met, the Financial Times reported.

But Iran softened its tone after the latest Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire and said plans were underway for a new meeting with the US in the coming days.