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U.S. President Donald Trump has called on both Israel and Iran to respect a newly brokered ceasefire following a wave of deadly missile strikes that killed four people in Beersheba, Israel, just hours before the truce was set to take effect. The appeal came amid growing skepticism over the viability of the agreement, which Trump had announced as a breakthrough to end 12 days of escalating hostilities between the two regional powers.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” His plea followed a barrage of six missile waves launched by Iran, which Israeli officials said resulted in the first fatalities since the ceasefire was initially proposed. The strikes targeted southern Israel, with explosions reported near Tel Aviv and Beersheba, intensifying fears that the fragile truce could collapse before it even begins.
Trump reportedly brokered the ceasefire during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Israel agreeing to halt operations on the condition that Iran would cease further attacks. However, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that Tehran’s compliance was contingent on Israel stopping what he described as “illegal aggression” against the Iranian people. Araqchi added that Iran had no intention of continuing its military response if Israel ceased hostilities by 4 a.m. Tehran time.
Despite the ceasefire announcement, tensions remained high. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had intercepted two ballistic missiles fired from Iran just three and a half hours after the ceasefire was declared. Katz ordered the IDF to prepare for “intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran,” signaling that Israel viewed the missile launches as a serious breach of the agreement.
The Israeli government, backed by bipartisan support in the Knesset, vowed to respond forcefully to any violations. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned, “Tehran will tremble,” while opposition leader Avigdor Liberman insisted that Iran’s actions must not go unanswered. “We must not absorb it, we must not ignore it, we have to respond immediately,” he posted.
Iran, meanwhile, claimed that its final round of missile strikes occurred before the ceasefire took effect. State media reported that the attacks were part of a final retaliation for Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which had prompted the latest round of hostilities.
The ceasefire, mediated with support from Qatar, was intended to halt a conflict that had already drawn in the United States and threatened to destabilize the broader Middle East. Trump praised both nations for their “stamina, courage, and intelligence” in agreeing to end what he dubbed “THE 12 DAY WAR.”
However, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms, the future of the ceasefire remains uncertain. Analysts warn that without mutual trust and clear enforcement mechanisms, the truce could unravel, plunging the region back into open conflict.
As the world watches closely, Trump’s call for restraint may prove pivotal in determining whether diplomacy can prevail over escalation. For now, the ceasefire hangs in the balance, with the next moves by Israel and Iran likely to shape the trajectory of this volatile standoff.