Washington/ Tel Aviv, Jun 8 (UNI) US President Donald Trump on Monday said that Israel and Iran are “looking to do an immediate ceasefire” after a fresh round of attacks between the two countries threatened an already fragile truce.
“Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The blockade will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a ‘Final Deal’ is reached. Things should move quickly.”
Trump has been signaling for weeks that a preliminary agreement to end the conflict is close, but a deal has yet to materialize.
Trump’s statement comes after Iran and Israel indicated a willingness to halt strikes against each other.
According to The Times of Israel, a regional official said the United States had informed Iran that there would be no further Israeli attacks if Tehran halted its missile strikes. The report added that Israel had agreed, for now, to suspend attacks.
An Israeli official told Hebrew media outlets that the decision was made at Trump’s request, while stressing that Israel would continue operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
“The sense is that this round of fighting is behind us. We are awaiting a final decision from the political leadership,” the official said.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that Israel was suspending attacks on Iran at Trump’s request. The report added that Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon would continue if Hezbollah attacks Israel.
There have also been reports in both Israeli and US media of a phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, although details of the conversation have not been made public.
Iran said it had suspended military operations against Israel but warned that it would resume them if attacks continued, including in southern Lebanon, where Israel is carrying out ongoing operations.
“The powerful Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in support of the oppressed people of Lebanon, delivered a painful response to this regime (Israel),” Iran’s military said in a statement cited by Tasnim news agency.
“Should the aggressions and hostile acts continue – including in southern Lebanon – far more severe and crushing measures than before will be forthcoming,” it said.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a message to government ministers on Monday that Israel “will not accept the regime in Tehran’s attempt to create a new equation,” whereby strikes on targets in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut “are met with Iranian attacks on population centers in Israel,” an Israeli official told CNN earlier.
“We will continue to operate throughout Lebanon, as required, to remove the Hezbollah terror threat to our citizens,” the statement said.
Reports are emerging that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to convene the security cabinet to discuss escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.
Israel Defense Forces stated that Iran fired nearly 30 ballistic missiles at Israel, while two missiles were also launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
Trump earlier called on both sides to agree to a ceasefire and “immediately stop shooting” in a post on Truth Social.
The IDF said it had completed a large-scale strike on “strategic defence systems” in Iran, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had targeted two Israeli air bases, according to Iranian media reports.
