US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Israel and Iran to stop “shooting” at each other, before declaring that both sides were seeking an “immediate ceasefire”, as the two countries exchanged strikes in the most serious escalation in the ongoing war in two months.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump sent a warning to Israel and Iran. “Israel and Iran must immediately stop “shooting”,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
About an hour after that, the US President said any peace talks were subject to “ignorance or stupidity” getting in its way.
“Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on “Peace” are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way,” Trump wrote in his second post on the social media platform.
He noted that the US Navy blockade on the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place.
“The Blockade will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a “Final Deal” is reached. Things should move quickly,” Trump said.
Israel and Iran fired missiles at each other on Monday in the most serious escalation of conflict after a ceasefire was announced in April, threatening the resumption of a full-scale war in the region.
An Israeli military official said Iran fired nearly 30 missiles towards Israel since Sunday night.
“Last night the Iranian regime began firing ballistic missiles towards Israel… they fired close to 30 ballistic missiles towards Israel,” the official told journalists on Monday, adding that Yemen’s Houthi rebels separately fired two missiles at the country.
Israeli authorities said three waves of Iranian missiles targeted the country. Explosions could be heard in central Israel as Israeli air defenses sought to intercept the incoming Iranian fire.
The Iranian attack came after Israel launched strikes on central and western Iran early Monday in response to missile fire from Tehran.
Tehran’s strikes followed attacks by Israel against targets of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Iran had repeatedly warned it would strike Israel if the Lebanese capital was targeted.
(With AFP, AP Inputs)
