US, Iran, Hezbollah spar over murky terms of ceasefire deal

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it had intercepted rockets shot by Islamist militia Hezbollah into the region where its soldiers are located in southern Lebanon.

"Within a short period of time, the Israeli Air Force struck and destroyed the launcher from which the rockets had been shot," Israel's army said in an X post.

According to the IDF, the car struck by its forces earlier today was "suspicious", with Lebanese reports saying four people had been killed by Israeli strikes today.

At least four people were killed in an Israelidrone strike in southern Lebanon, Lebanese media reported.

The strikes come as Iran has insisted Israel withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon as part of a tentative ceasefire deal with the US. 

Iranian officials have repeatedly said that an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon's south would be a condition for the agreement to take place.

Tehran is the backer of Lebanon-based Islamist militia Hezbollah, which has been launching drones and rockets into Israel's north.

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's top negotiator, said in a call with Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri that Israel must get out of the "occupied areas" in the country.

Israeli forces have set up what they call a "security buffer zone" in southern Lebanon, 

"The people of southern Lebanon must return to their homes," Qalibaf wrote on his Telegram channel.

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed a similar message earlier Tuesday, describing the situation in Lebanon as an "inseparable part of complete end to the war."

Switzerland's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday the US-Iran deal is set to be signed on Friday at Bürgenstock resort near the town of Lucerne, located south of Zurich. 

It "was proposed by the Pakistani and Qatari mediators, as well as by the US and Iran", Switzerland's foreign ministry said.

US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf are expected to attend the formal signing.

Hezbollah said it had received assurances from its ally Iran that an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon would be discussed with the United States in the next phase of peace talks.

The Lebanese militant group told the Reuters news agency that there would be "no nuclear deal between Iran and the United States unless the Israelis withdraw" from Lebanon.

The comments came after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel, in what it described as retaliation for the US-Israeli killing of Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a military operation inside Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his troops would remain in southern Lebanon as long as needed to tackle Hezbollah.

Iran and the US had agreed on an interim deal to end the war, while outstanding issues, including the Israeli operation in Lebanon, remained unresolved.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, was "the most important" issue.

"Ending the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of the complete end of the war."

On the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, US President Donald Trump that the current memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tehran states clearly that Iran ​will not be able to posses a ​nuclear ‌weapon.

Trump added that the full text, which has not been made public, will be shared with the media "in a couple of days."

The president added that he likes the idea of sending the Iran deal to Congress for review. Republican lawmakers have said they want Trump to disclose more information about the MoU, amid skepticism that the deal will stop Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

The current Mou is said to put off talks on Iran's nuclear program for later negotiations that are said to last 60 days. However, Trump said he was confident subsequent talks with Tehran would "go pretty quickly."

Iranian state television reported oil tankers and other ships had resumed sailing after a preliminary deal to end the war, suggesting the US naval blockade was easing.

"Three Iranian oil tankers are currently sailing in the northern Indian Ocean, and two others carrying essential goods and livestock feed are en route toward southern ports," a state television reporter said, reporting from the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell nearly 3% to fresh three-month lows on Tuesday, as markets weighed the prospect of supplies resuming through the Strait of Hormuz and weaker physical demand.

Brent crude was down $2.48 to $80.69 a barrel by midday Tuesday. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell to $78.27 a barrel.

Qatar said a deal between the US and Iran could boost security in the Middle East.

"We are cautiously optimistic that the signing of the memorandum of understanding will lead to the next phase of regional security through the talks that will take place on the nuclear programme and on other issues," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed Al Ansari said.

On the sidelines of the G7 summit, Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, held talks with President Donald Trump.

Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates were expected to discuss the war-driven economic fallout with G7 leaders.

Pakistani and Qatari officials will attend Friday's formal signing of the memorandum.

Qatar said, however, that rebuilding trust will take time after Iran struck targets across the Gulf during the war.

"I can't say that we are returning to business as usual in our region with our neighbours ... there is a lot of need for dialogue and for agreement over how to guarantee the security of our region," Al Ansari siad

A potential US-Iran agreement could lower energy, fertilizer and food prices in Africa if the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens.

"This is the best news for Africa in a long time," Samuel Nyandemo, an economics professor at the University of Nairobi, told DW.

For Nyandemo, the impact would extend well beyond energy markets.

"Once the route is opened, we expect smooth mobility of goods and services," he said, noting that exports to Europe and Asia could again flow without costly detours, stabilizing supply chains and cutting transport expenses.

However, oil exporters such as Nigeria and Angola might have to cope with less revenue, experts say.

Find out how Africa could be among the main indirect beneficiaries of the end of the Iran war, by clicking here. 

Iran has executed two men convicted over anti-government protests that peaked in January 2026.

State media describe Javad Zamani and Abolfazl Saedi as "armed leaders of early 2026 unrest."

They were found guilty of "moharebeh," or waging war against God, and "corruption on earth," both capital offenses in the Islamic Republic. 

The United Nations reports at least 40 executions in 2026 so far, including 18 tied to protests.

President Donald Trumpsaid US agreement with Iran explicitly prohibits the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

"The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear," he told reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France.

Trump also said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be "more responsible" in dealing with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Lebanon was pulled into the war in March when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel after the killing of Iran's supreme leader, prompting Israeli strikes and a ground invasion.

"I'm not happy with the way Israel has handled itself with Lebanon and with Hezbollah," he said.

He added that he suggested Israel allow "Syria to take care of Hezbollah."

Iran's nuclear program and the broader regional implications of the conflict involving Iran remain key issues in efforts to reach a final peace agreement.

Trump also said that "Iran has rational leadership now."

US Vice President JD Vance said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran aimed at ending the war is a "very general document."

He admitted the deal kicks the thorniest issues, especially Iran's nuclear program, down the road.

"The MoU is about a page and a half, so it is a very general document," Vance told CNN. 

The unpublished agreement calls for the "immediate" reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the blockade, a senior US official said, separately, on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the outline.

Vance later told Fox News that US President Donald Trump may decide to release the agreement before Friday.

Vance will travel to Geneva, where he and Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are expected to officially sign the deal. 

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, quoted on state television, said "the next round of negotiations will begin immediately after the signing of the agreement."

He added that it includes issues around Iran's nuclear program. Vance said that after the MoU is signed, Iran will allow international nuclear inspectors back into the country.

Iran says any peace deal with the United States must end the war on all fronts, including Lebanon.

"The end of the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of complete end of the war," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, according to Iranian state television.

"Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end," Araghchi said, adding that further Israeli attacks on Lebanon "will be considered by us a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding" with the US.

Tehran and Washington have announced a tentative agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

However, details of the interim deal remain unclear, as it has not been released publicly.

Araghchi's remarks come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces will remain in areas they now control in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza "as long as necessary."

The interim agreement between Washington and Tehran got a warm reception on Monday. But by Tuesday, it was already clear that the hard work is only just beginning.

Both sides have acknowledged as much. US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi have both said publicly that more talks are needed before anything resembling a full peace deal can take shape.

Those talks are set to begin Friday, when the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Geneva will open a 60-day window for the two sides to work toward a broader agreement.

Plenty of thorny issues remain on the table, among them, the future of Iran's nuclear program and the ongoing Israeli military operations in Iran targeting Hezbollah.

We'll be tracking all of that here.