Iran-Israel ceasefire: Don't drop those bombs, Trump warns Israel
Israel had said that it was accepting the ceasefire while Iran said that it would refrain from any further strikes on Israel if the latter ceases hostilities
Within hours after announcing that Iran and Israel has reached a ceasefire and asking the two warring countries not to violate it, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 24) virtually rebuked Israel, a key US ally, warning it not to strike Iran further as it would result into a “major violation”.
"ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” he posted on Truth Social. (sic)
The development comes hours after the Israeli military claimed that it had intercepted an Iranian missile, but Tehran denied launching any fresh barrage. Earlier, Israel had said that it was accepting the ceasefire while Iran said that it would refrain from any further strikes on Israel if the latter ceases hostilities.
‘Violations to be met with force’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with Trump, but warned any violation of the ceasefire by Iran would be responded with force.
He also said that the Israeli military had achieved all its strategic goals during the 12-day military conflict with Iran, including permanently removing the nuclear and ballistic missile threat from the Islamic Republic. He also said that Israel has succeeded in inflicting severe damage on Iran’s military leadership and several government sites.
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Trump’s ceasefire announcement
The ceasefire announcement was made by Trump about an hour after Israel halted military operations against Iran following heavy airstrikes till 4 am, which was responded to by Iran with another missile barrage.
Writing over an hour after a deadline passed for Iran to halt its attacks, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!”
Also Read: How US used decoys, stealth bombers to strike key Iranian nuclear sites
What Iran said
According to a report by the Iranian state television, the ceasefire went into effect at 7:30 a.m., but Iranian officials have not commented since Trump’s announcement. Hours earlier, Iran’s top diplomat said the country was prepared to halt airstrikes, reported AP.
“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
Mr. Araghchi added: “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”
Also Read: US strike on Iran: What it means for the world
The backdrop
Interestingly, one of the key promises of Trump’s Presidential campaign for his second term was not letting the US get dragged into foreign wars. In a surprise to many, including US allies, he announced that US bombers had inflicted irreparable damage to three key Iranian nuclear sites. The US Air Force reportedly used the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to strike the heavily fortified nuclear sites using the Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP) in a bid to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.