After Iran fired six more missiles towards Israel, U.S. President Donald Trump again took to asserting that both countries had come to him simultaneously requesting "peace," a time he referred to as the trigger for declaring a ceasefire.
Posting his comment on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Israel & Iran approached me, virtually at the same time, and said, 'peace'! I knew the moment was NOW. The World, and the Middle East, are the big winners!"
He also added, "Both Nations will experience great love, peace and prosperity in their futures. They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they lose sight of the path of righteousness & truth. The future for Israel & Iran is limitless, & full of great promise. God bless you both!"
Trump's statement came amid escalated tensions, with Israel's Home Front Command calling on civilians to take shelter following Iran's resumed missile attack. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that defense systems were activated in retaliation, with at least one ballistic missile landing on a building within the city of Beersheba.
Magen David Adom first responders were sent to the area. Although there were no initial reports of injury, officials continued to assess the situation.
The barrage followed Iran's statement that it was halting military operations against Israel at 4 a.m. local time. Iran officials, however, clarified that their ceasefire was conditional—it was contingent on Israel halting its offensive as well.
Even though Trump had stated both countries had agreed to peace, Iran immediately refuted the claim. Tehran's Foreign Ministry explained it had not been formally presented with any ceasefire offer by Washington and blamed Israel for starting the war.
Iran insisted that its brief ceasefire was premised on the hope that Israel would reciprocate. As of reporting, Israeli officials had not made any official reaction to Trump's ceasefire announcement.
On its 12th day, the fighting started with Israel's initiation of "Operation Rising Lion," an operation that was intended to target Iran's military and nuclear infrastructure. Retaliation came in the form of successive Iranian waves of ballistic missile attacks.
Casualty reports indicate that an estimated 400 people died in Iran, while 24 have died in Israel.
The situation worsened even further as the United States conducted direct attacks on key Iranian nuclear facilities, such as those based in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
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