U.S.-Iran talks in Switzerland delayed

Vice President J.D. Vance delayed a trip to Switzerland for the U.S.-Iran talks planned for Friday, the White House confirmed to several news outlets. The logistics of the travel have never been simple or predictable, the White House said. Vance said in a press conference on Thursday that he was unsure about the timing of the trip. Officials in Switzerland also reportedly confirmed the postponement. A written statement attributed to Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday referenced future in-person talks with the United States. As of Friday morning, it was unclear when the signing of written documents in Switzerland would occur.

WORLD reached out to the White House and Swiss officials for more details, but did not immediately hear back. The news follows after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian digitally signed a preliminary memorandum to end their conflict earlier this week.

Has the Strait of Hormuz fully opened? All U.S. military blockade enforcements have stopped in the strait, the U.S. Central Command said Thursday. A total of 25 commercial ships crossed through the key waterway that day, according to AXSMarine. This marked the highest passage of ships in a day since April, the marine intelligence firm noted.

Has the conflict in Israel and Lebanon stopped as sought by Iran? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said four Israeli soldiers were killed Thursday night in an attack by Hezbollah. Israel retaliated with its own attacks. Continued attacks were preventing the evacuation of 18 dead and 33 wounded people in southern Lebanon, the country’s Ministry of Public Health reported. Netanyahu said that Israel will stay in Lebanon as long as required for Israel’s protection. On Friday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that Lebanon must burn for its actions.

Trump said Thursday that as part of the deal with the United States and Iran, he expected a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including between Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on Iran’s president and President Trump’s digital signing of the preliminary memorandum.