Trump: 'The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it!'

Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the ceasefire announced between Israel and Iran is now in effect. The president, moreover, called on both sides to respect it in order to reach peace between the two countries. Israel announced that it considered that all its objectives had been achieved and accepted the deal, while Iran, without officially giving its consent, said that it would not attack its enemy if its own territory was left untouched.

Nevertheless, the hours prior to Trump's final announcement saw intense attacks between both sides. Iranian missile launches left four dead in southern Israel and an Israeli bombing killed nine people in northern Iran, including a nuclear scientist, according to Iranian state-run television.

In a series of messages on Truth Social, Trump claimed on Monday night that Israel and Iran had agreed to "a complete and total ceasefire." According to Trump, the truce was to take effect in phases starting Tuesday with Iran ceasing operations, followed with Israel ending operations 12 hours later.

Israel announces it has achieved its objectives and accepts the truce

The Netanyahu government was the first to officially accept Trump's ceasefire, saying it had met its war aims, having eliminated Iran's dual nuclear and missile threat. Moreover, Israel warned that it would react "firmly" if the Iranians did not respect the truce.

Israel "has removed a dual immediate existential threat – both in the nuclear and ballistic missile fields," the Israeli government said in a statement, thanking "President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat." The statement said that Israel "will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire." 

During the hours prior to the start of the truce announced by Trump, Iran launched several salvoes of missiles against Israeli territory, which triggered the activation of anti-aircraft alerts in Tel Aviv and other parts of the north and south of the country. The Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross, said a projectile hit a residential building in the southern city of Beerseva, where four people were reported dead.

Iran denies deal, but says it will not attack if it is not attacked

Iran did not at first recognize the agreement announced by Trump. In fact, Iranian Foreign Minister Abas Araqchi denied on social media that such a deal existed, but noted that "if the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people," his country has "no intention of continuing" the bombings.

Overnight, a series of bombings triggered forceful explosions in Tehran which, according to AFP journalists, were among the most intense since the outbreak of the conflict.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran on June 13 with the stated aim of preventing it from getting hold of the nuclear weapon, a goal Tehran denies it has. Finally, after weeks of negotiations between the two countries, and after several days of threats to the Iranian Regime, Trump gave the green light last Sunday to the attack on the Iranian underground uranium enrichment plant Fordow and nuclear facilities Isfahan and Natanz, in the center of the country. According to the Pentagon, these bombings "devastated the Iranian nuclear program."

Attack on a U.S. base in Qatar

Iran vowed to respond to the United States' strikes and on Monday attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, America's largest in the Middle East. The Iranian National Security Council claimed they had launched six missiles against that base, the same "as the number of bombs the U.S. had used in attacking Iranian nuclear facilities."

However, Qatar claimed it had intercepted all the projectiles. Trump called the Iranian response "very weak," but was grateful that they had given them advance warning. Iranian state-run television overnight showed live footage of protesters in Tehran shouting, "Death to America!"

Trump calls on Israel to stop retaliation and bring back pilots

Donald Trump directly challenged Israel, asking it not to bomb Iran following Katz's denunciation of Tehran's violation of the cease-fire. In a post on Truth Social, the president warned Netanyahu's government that if it drops the bombs on Tehran it will incur "a major violation" and demanded that they "BRING YOUR PILOTS BACK HOME, NOW!".