WASHINGTON ¨C U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks, Axios said Friday, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after escalating fighting cast doubt over U.S.-Iran talks critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilizing oil supplies.

That followed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) the two sides signed this week to halt fighting and open a 60-day window to resolve disputes over Iran¡¯s ?nuclear program, as well as other thorny issues needed to forge a more durable deal.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance canceled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, ?however, amid ?rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran.

With the ceasefire in place, Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to ?join Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s son-in-law, who is already there, Axios said. Araqchi plans to travel there on Saturday, it added.

The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce.

The White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff¡¯s travel.

A senior U.S. official said the ceasefire took effect around 4 p.m. in ?Lebanon following an exchange of fire, adding that negotiators for the United States and Qatar had worked out the agreement with help from Iran.

Two sources from Hezbollah and a senior Israeli official confirmed the ceasefire.

¡°If Hezbollah does not attack us, then for us it is not a time of war,¡± the Israeli official said, adding that Israel would keep its forces in southern Lebanon, where it has occupied an area along its northern border.

Two Lebanese security sources said Israel had carried out a dozen airstrikes in ?the first hour of the ceasefire but none were recorded after 5 ?p.m.

Lebanon¡¯s health ministry said Israeli strikes after midnight into Friday had killed 47 people and wounded 97, while the Israeli military said four soldiers had been killed in an incident in Lebanon, without giving further details.

The conflict in Lebanon could weigh on negotiations because ending fighting ?there is a condition for the ?broader U.S.-Iran accord.

Following Wednesday¡¯s signing of the MOU, preparations for technical talks at the Swiss mountaintop ?resort of Buergenstock were well advanced when the White House said on Thursday that Vance would not attend.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said the talks had ?been postponed but Switzerland stood ?ready to facilitate them and preparatory work was continuing.

The broad interim deal requires the United States, Iran and their allies to declare...