Trump: Israel and Iran Must Stop the Fire Immediately
More than half a day after the escalation in the Middle East led to launches from Iran toward Israel and, later, Israeli Air Force strikes across the Islamic Republic, U.S. President Donald Trump warned in a post published today (Monday) on his social network TRUTH that “Israel and Iran must stop the fire immediately,” despite earlier remarks from IDF sources saying, “We are in full coordination with the U.S.” Trump later posted again, writing: “Both sides, Israel and Iran, want an immediate ceasefire. The final deal on ‘peace’ is being worked out, subject to ignorance or stupidity that might stand in its way. The blockade will remain in effect, and in full force, until a ‘final deal’ is reached. Things must move quickly.”
Last night, after the launches toward Israel began and before Israel’s response, President Trump addressed Iran and said: “You fired your missiles, that’s enough. Go back to the negotiations and sign a deal.” Trump told the Financial Times that the Iranian attack on Israel would have “no effect” on the negotiations, and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have “no choice” but to accept an agreement with Iran. Trump added: “I set the lines. I set all the lines. He does not set the lines.”
Before the escalation, alongside the Air Force strike yesterday in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, Trump told NBC that he was “not demanding that Lebanon be part of the deal with Iran,” after reports that Jerusalem had updated Washington on the strike in the Lebanese capital. “We are very close to a deal in my opinion, but the most important thing is that they don’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “If there is a deal, we’ll start removing the uranium and destroy it, together with the Iranians or without them. If there is no deal, we will destroy them militarily so we can remove the nuclear material safely. The nuclear material is buried underground and they cannot get to it, only we and China can get to it. They are a proud nation, which is why they have not signed a deal yet. There will be no unfreezing of Iranian assets.”
Trump also said he would like to speak with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but noted that he has not spoken with him yet. “From what we see, he is highly regarded,” Trump said. “He is more rational, much more than his father. He is seriously wounded.”
Most of the targets the IDF struck overnight were air defense targets in Iran, and this morning the Air Force struck a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran. In response, more than 20 missiles were fired from Iran toward Israel, and sirens were activated several times across the country. The IDF assesses that the fighting round will continue for several days, and military officials said: “The effort is to achieve freedom of action over Iran. The goal is to distinguish between Lebanon and Iran and continue weakening the regime.”
The Home Front Command updated its directives, canceling classes nationwide and restricting gatherings. The IDF spokesperson confirmed that dozens of Air Force fighter jets completed a wide-scale strike this morning against strategic defense systems of the Iranian regime. It was also reported that in recent times, defense systems had been deployed in several different areas in Iran as part of the regime’s efforts to restore its detection and defense capabilities, which were damaged in Operation Rising Lion, and the strike led to the destruction of those systems: “In Operation Rising Lion, the IDF dealt a severe blow to the defense systems of the Iranian terror regime. The completed strikes further deepen the Air Force’s freedom of action in Iranian skies.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held consultations throughout the night with the IDF and the heads of the security branches, at the end of which they decided to strike and respond in Iran. The political echelon stresses that any fire from Iran will be met with a powerful response, and that any fire from Lebanon toward Israel will be met with a strike in Dahiyeh. IDF officials say it is not clear why Hezbollah has not fired so far, but add: “We are preparing for Hezbollah fire across the country.” IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Omar Tischler, and senior IDF officials are holding ongoing situation assessments and directing IDF strikes in Iran from the Air Force command bunker in the Kirya.
