𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

In Lebanon, Israel said it targeted Tehran-backed Hezbollah across the south of the country overnight and early Friday. At least 18 people were killed, Lebanese health officials reported.

The Israeli military said that four of its soldiers were killed and another five injured. Hezbollah also reported fighting in the area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he instructed the military to strike Hezbollah “with force” following the deaths of the four soldiers, including a battalion commander, which he called “a blatant violation of the ceasefire.”

The military attacked “more than 80 terror targets and eliminated dozens of terrorists,” Netanyahu said, and hit the group’s headquarters in the Bekaa Valley on Friday morning. “As I have made clear unequivocally, including yesterday: Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect the northern communities,” he added.

Hezbollah accused Israel of never adhering to a ceasefire or the deal that Trump signed, which called for immediate ending to all fighting, including in Lebanon.

There was no immediate reaction from Iranian officials to the postponement of the talks, with the country’s state media reporting on it but not laying out the reasons for it.

Iran has warned that it would not abide by the agreement should Israel, which has not been part of talks, continue its campaign in Lebanon. On Thursday, Israel published a map with an expanded ​military control zone in southern Lebanon and said it would not rule out more attacks beyond it.

The agreed 14-point memorandum of understanding calls for an immediate end to “military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” as well as “ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that Trump brought about the interim agreement “out of desperation.”

In a statement released Thursday night on Telegram, Khamenei said Iran would not submit to any “excessive” American demands.

“It is self-evident that the in-person negotiations that will take place in the future will not mean acceptance of the enemy’s position,” he added.

The interim agreement includes reopening the key Strait of Hormuz trading route, after months of disruption for the global economy.

Brent crude steadied Friday but remained set for a more than 8% weekly decline given news of the deal.

NBC News’ analysis of marine traffic through the crucial waterway revealed a trickle of ships travelling through the strait Thursday and into Friday, as two Chinese and two Hong Kong owned ships, and a Japanese crude oil tanker left the Persian Gulf, where they had been stuck since February.

The authority Iran has established to manage the strait has issued new guidelines for vessels Friday, saying it won’t be charging any fees during the 60-day negotiation process, but a transit request must be submitted 48 hours before arrival. Iran would waive “tariffs for security, safety and environmental services” during the period, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said in an advisory.