Iran and Israel Agree to Ceasefire After 12 Days of Fighting
Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire after nearly two weeks of intense airstrikes. The truce came shortly after Iran launched a final wave of missiles, just before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel accepted the ceasefire plan announced by Trump the night before. Iranian state television also reported that the ceasefire had already started.
Trump shared the news on social media, saying, “The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it!”
Netanyahu warned that Israel would strike back if Iran broke the agreement. Still, many are hopeful that this will calm the conflict, which worsened after the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites and Iran attacked a U.S. base in Qatar.
“In coordination with President Trump, and after meeting our goals, Israel has agreed to a bilateral ceasefire,” Netanyahu said.
Missile Strikes Stop
By early Tuesday, missile attacks from both sides had stopped. Iran had fired six waves of missiles before the ceasefire deadline. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strikes were punishment for Israeli attacks and continued until the last possible moment.
Several people were killed in the attacks, according to emergency services and the Israeli military. After the ceasefire began, Israeli citizens were told they could safely leave bomb shelters.
Al Jazeera reporter Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said Israeli strikes had stopped, calling the break in violence a “hopeful sign.” However, he added that both countries remain on alert and ready to respond if the fighting starts again.
Calls for Peace in Gaza
After agreeing to the ceasefire, Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid urged the government to also make peace in Gaza, where fighting with Hamas has lasted 20 months.
“And now Gaza. It’s time to finish it there too. Bring back the hostages, end the war,” Lapid posted online.
However, some Israeli politicians strongly disagreed with the ceasefire. Dan Illouz, from Netanyahu’s Likud party, said Iran is still a serious threat and that peace deals with its government won’t work.
Nuclear Tensions
The fighting began on June 13, when Israel claimed Iran was close to making a nuclear weapon. President Trump said the same before the U.S. bombed three nuclear sites in Iran.
On Monday, the UN nuclear agency (IAEA) asked to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites to find out where its enriched uranium is now stored. Some believe Iran moved its nuclear material before the U.S. strikes.
Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said on Tuesday that they are checking for damage and working to get their nuclear program running again.
“Our goal is to avoid delays in production and services,” he said, according to Reuters.
