By CUI HAIPEI in Dubai, UAE and JAN YUMUL in Hong Kong |
China Daily |
Smoke rises near Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon following Israeli bombardment on Friday. Despite an interim Mideast peace deal including Lebanon, Israel continues to strike Hezbollah positions. JALAA MAREY/AFP
Switzerland said on Friday that planned talks between the United States and Iran to end the Middle East conflict had been postponed, shortly after US Vice-President JD Vance scrapped his scheduled trip to Geneva, deepening uncertainties over whether a durable truce can be reached.
The signing of an interim 14-point accord this past week was designed to end the conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and launch a 60-day window covering core issues including Iran's nuclear program. Nevertheless, the ceasefire failed to halt hostilities in Lebanon, as the Israeli military launched fresh airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Friday.
