Washington, June 20: US President Donald Trump said that he expects Iran to agree to a final deal within 60 days of the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

If no deal is reached within 60 days beginning Thursday, “we will do things that won’t make them happy,” Trump said at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday. “But I don’t think it’s going to get to that.”

The text of the MoU states that the two sides commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days, extendable with mutual consent, Xinhua news agency reported.

US-Iran talks scheduled in Switzerland was postponed, with neither side offering an official explanation. Multiple media reports said that Iran withdrew from the talks in response to the latest Israeli strikes in Lebanon.

Earlier on Friday, Trump told NBC News that he had spoken with Israeli leaders and urged them to agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

“It’s a positive,” Trump said in the phone interview. “It’s a little icing on the cake.”

Meanwhile, the US State Department said that a new round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Washington, DC next week.

Earlier, in a statement, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs stated, “The Planned talks between the US, Iran, Qatar and Pakistan have been postponed. Switzerland remains ready to facilitate these talks. The relevant preparatory work at Burgenstock is continuing. No further information can be provided at present.”

The talks between he US and Iran were planned to move from a political framework agreement to detailed negotiations on implementation, verification and compliance.

On Thursday night, the White House announced that US Vice President JD Vance’s planned departure for technical negotiations with Iran has been postponed. However, it said preparations for the talks continue and both sides remain focused on launching the next phase of discussions aimed at implementing the recently signed memorandum of understanding.

“As the Vice President said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalised, and the US delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity,” a White House spokesperson said late Thursday night.

Beirut, June 20: An Israeli airstrike targeted the Jabal al-Rafee area near the southern Lebanese town of Sajd, shortly after a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The ceasefire took effect at 4:00 p.m. on Friday (local time), Xinhua news agency reported.

Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Friday that the group would confront Israel with weapons if attacked, stressing that threats of death would not deter its members.

“The project to eliminate Hezbollah and entrench the occupation has failed, and the Israelis will withdraw from every last inch of our land,” Qassem said in a televised speech on al-Manar local TV channel.

He added that Lebanon was facing “the most dangerous stage” and an “American-Israeli project” targeting the future of the country, accusing Israel of seeking to turn Lebanon’s political authority against the resistance movement and of obstructing reconstruction efforts in areas affected by the conflict.

Qassem also said Hezbollah’s weapons are directed solely against Israel and called on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

His remarks came as an Israeli airstrike targeted the Jabal al-Rafee area near the southern Lebanese town of Sajd on Friday, shortly after a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel that took effect at 4:00 p.m. local time, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Earlier in the day, Ibrahim al-Moussawi, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc “Loyalty to the Resistance,” said that the group would continue to abide by the ceasefire agreement provided that Israel also respects its terms.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center said the cumulative toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 had risen to 3,980 people killed and 12,001 injured.

Evian (France), June 18: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday in an official statement that Prime Minister Modi met the US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France’s Evian and discussed end of West Asia conflict, significant progress in the India-US interim trade deal and bilateral cooperation in terms of defence, strategic technologies, energy, and trade sectors between the two countries.

Prime Minister Modi commended President Trump for his efforts that had resulted in an understanding to end the ongoing conflict in West Asia and restore peace and stability across the broader region, the MEA statement said.

The Prime Minister also underlined the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and the need to ensure the safety of seafarer, the MEA statement added.

Taking to his official social media plaform X, PM Modi said: “Pleased to meet President Trump in Evian. We reviewed the sustained progress in our bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defence, technology and people-to-people ties. Conveyed India’s appreciation on the progress in the efforts for restoring peace and stability in West Asia. Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy. Reiterated the importance of ensuring the safety and security of civilians, including seafarers.”

“Both PM Modi and President Trump reviewed the substantial progress achieved under the India–US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology) since their meeting in Washington D.C. in February 2025,” the MEA said in the statement.

The two leaders welcomed key developments across the defence, strategic technologies, energy, and bilateral trade sectors, the MEA statement added.

“The leaders noted with particular satisfaction the significant progress made in negotiations towards an interim Bilateral Trade Agreement and instructed their officials to work towards a “balanced, mutually beneficial, and commercially meaningful agreement at the earliest”. The US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, will be visiting India next week in this connection.”

“Prime Minister Modi and President Trump reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and advancing cooperation across all domains for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their people,” the MEA added.