Iran and US. Photo: Vanguard
A newly signed deal to end the Middle East war was already under strain on Friday, after talks in Switzerland were postponed and fighting flared between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The developments came after Iran’s supreme leader announced he had only allowed the preliminary deal to the stop war to go ahead despite reservations, and as his top negotiator warned Washington the Islamic republic stood ready to retaliate in the event of any breach.
Mediators in the conflict — including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — were due to gather for talks in the Egyptian city of Alamein on Sunday to discuss the deal, Cairo and Islamabad said.
Preparations had been made to host Iranian and US delegations at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock, overlooking Lake Lucerne, to begin negotiations on implementing the deal signed this week by President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.
