Friday, 31 July 2026
Nasdaq +2.78%
Subscribe NowSupport Us

Daily TribuneDaily TribuneDaily Tribune

Daily TribuneDaily TribuneDaily Tribune
Subscribe
Friday, 31 July 2026
  • SONATOTOO
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Life
  • Show
  • Sports
  • Global Goals
Partner feature
Daily TribuneDaily Tribune

The Philippines' leading digital newspaper.

News
  • Headlines
  • Page three
  • Metro
  • Nation
  • World
  • Dyaryo Tirada
  • Obituary (Remember Me)
Opinion
  • All columnists
  • Editorials
  • Guest essays
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Scuttlebutt
Business
  • Shipping
  • Portraits
  • Pep
  • Business Advisories
  • Technology (Tech Talks)
Life
  • Show
  • Food & Drink
  • Getaways
  • Arts & Culture
  • Social Set
  • Spaces
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • The Edit
  • Top Form
  • Next Gen
  • Sacred Space
  • Project Larawan
  • Snaps
Sports
  • Hoops
  • Volley
  • Golf
  • Goal
  • Boxing
  • Tennis
  • Esports
  • Blast

Company

  • SONATOTOO
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe
  • Support Us

© 2026 Daily Tribune · tribune.net.ph · Powered by Quintype

WORLD

Israel, Hezbollah agree ceasefire as US-Iran deal under strain

AF

Agence France-Presse·20 June 2026, 4:06 am·1 MIN READ

Israel, Hezbollah agree ceasefire as US-Iran deal under strain

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel on June 19, 2026. Mediators in the US-Iran conflict, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are due to gather for talks in the Egyptian city of Alamein on June 21, Cairo and Islamabad have confirmed. The agreement was meant to halt fighting in Lebanon as well, but clashes have since resumed between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

photo courtesy AFP

Text size
Partner feature

Stay informed

Get Daily Tribune in your inbox

Breaking news, opinion, and business coverage for readers in the Philippines and abroad.

Subscribe to the newsletter

Read next

Missiles kill eight, wound dozen

Missiles kill eight, wound dozen

What's your take?

Share

Google Preferred Sources

Get more Daily Tribune stories in your search results

Add Daily Tribune as a preferred source on Google Search.

Add to Google

Continue reading

  • U.S. completes ‘heavy strikes’ on Iran
    U.S. completes ‘heavy strikes’ on Iran
  • Gun violence not ‘clickbait’
    Gun violence not ‘clickbait’
  • Sara questions ICC drug war death figures
    Sara questions ICC drug war death figures
Partner feature
Partner feature

Suggested Articles

Trump says US to hit Iran hard
WORLD

Trump says US to hit Iran hard

US President Donald Trump vowed to hit back hard at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, as the…

Agence France-Presse·30 July 2026

U.S. tariffs could slow Philippine economy — RCBC
BUSINESS

U.S. tariffs could slow Philippine economy — RCBC

The latest US tariffs on Philippine goods could further complicate an already complicated economic situation, said…

Toby Magsaysay·30 July 2026

Iran discusses Hormuz with Oman, Saudi Arabia
WORLD

Iran discusses Hormuz with Oman, Saudi Arabia

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate calls Tuesday with his Omani and Saudi…

Agence France-Presse·29 July 2026

Netanyahu, Trump meet; regional security tops agenda
WORLD

Netanyahu, Trump meet; regional security tops agenda

The leaders are also expected to discuss implementation of the US-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed…

Agence France-Presse·29 July 2026

Iran halts attacks as Trump gives space to talks
WORLD

Iran halts attacks as Trump gives space to talks

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran and the United States held their fire Monday, handing Gulf shipping and the oil industry a respite…

Agence France-Presse·28 July 2026

Share

  • Israel and Hezbollah agreed a ceasefire on Friday, a US official said, after deadly exchanges between the two sides in Lebanon once again put a deal to end the Middle East war under strain, less than two days after it was signed.

    Lebanese authorities reported 47 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes and Israel announced the deaths of four of its soldiers, the highest combined casualty count since the US and Iran struck their deal. 

    Talks that were scheduled to take place between the US and Iran in Switzerland to build on the deal and work towards a lasting settlement were postponed, with no new date announced, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun held a call.

    The Lebanese presidency said Aoun thanked Rubio for US support but stressed "the need for Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory to cease through the achievement of a comprehensive ceasefire".

    Rubio, according to the US State Department, insisted on the importance of Lebanon carrying through on its efforts to disarm the Hezbollah armed group, which is fighting Israel in the south of the country.

    "They discussed the next round of negotiations, scheduled for June 23 to 25 in Washington, where the two sovereign governments will make progress toward a lasting peace," a spokesman said. "Secretary Rubio reiterated the need to disarm Hezbollah and to re-establish control over all Lebanese territory." 

    Israel's ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, insisted in a social media post that Israel was committed to an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, but only "if Hezbollah honours the agreement and ceases its hostilities".

    The deal signed this week by President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian aims to end a war that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes that killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

    The agreement was also meant to halt the fighting in Lebanon, which Iran has always insisted should be covered under any accord, turning Israel's ongoing campaign there into a source of frustration for Washington.

    Israel's military said Friday that it had struck more than 80 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and killed dozens of members of the Iran-backed group.

    'Permanent war'

    But a US official told AFP a truce between Israel and Hezbollah, beginning immediately, had been brokered by US and Qatari mediators following talks with Israel and Iran. A Gulf diplomat confirmed the ceasefire.

    Even after the truce was announced, Lebanese state media reported an Israeli airstrike on the country's south in the Jezzine region. 

    Leiter, however, denied this, saying: "At 11:30 this morning, Israel halted all offensive operations; Hezbollah and Iranian claims to the contrary are bold lies."

    A previous truce nominally agreed in April did nothing to stop attacks by either side, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said just hours earlier that the Israeli army would make Iran-backed Hezbollah pay a "heavy price" for its attacks.

    Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went even further, saying after the soldiers' deaths that "all of Lebanon must burn".

    Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused Israel of only being interested in "permanent war".

    'No urgency'

    Preparations had been made to host Iranian and US delegations led by Tehran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, overlooking Lake Lucerne.

    The talks were due to kick off a two-month period of negotiations to discuss outstanding issues not covered by the initial deal, notably Iran's nuclear programme.

    Switzerland's foreign ministry confirmed the discussions had been postponed but said it "remains ready to facilitate these talks".

    Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, said there was "no urgency to hold the meeting" but that it was planned "in the coming days"

    48 hours notice

    A key aspect of the deal was the immediate re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping bottleneck whose closure caused global energy prices to rise. 

    A total of 25 commercial vessels crossed the newly-reopened strait on Thursday, the highest number since mid-April, according to data from maritime tracking firm AXSMarine published on Friday.

    American forces on Thursday lifted their parallel naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US military said, noting that American warships "will remain in the general area".

    Iran's maritime authority said on Friday that all ships seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz should submit a transit request "48 hours in advance", despite its reopening.

    Also read

    Israel, Hezbollah clash ahead of U.S.-hosted talks
    WORLD

    Israel, Hezbollah clash ahead of U.S.-hosted talks

    The announcements came on the eve of a fourth round of US-hosted direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

    Agence France-Presse·3 June 2026

    Also read

    Iran-U.S. Swiss talks postponed
    NEWS

    Iran-U.S. Swiss talks postponed

    A newly signed deal to end the Middle East war was already under strain on Friday, after talks in Switzerland were postponed and fighting…

    DT,Agence France-Presse·19 June 2026

    • Iran Israel war