Key Points

Taking to social media platform X, Azar stated, "I met USA Charge d'Affaires Jorgan K Andrews to express my personal & Israel's gratitude for our partnership & for President Donald Trump's leadership, which were essential in removing the Iranian regime's existential threats over Israel."

https://x.com/ReuvenAzar/status/1937481631964516811

The statement comes as tensions escalate in West Asia following violations of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran. Around the same time, US President Donald Trump expressed strong disapproval of both countries for breaching the truce he had announced earlier in the day. Trump described their actions as irresponsible and called for restraint from both sides.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, "ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."

He later added, "ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."

Speaking to reporters, Trump criticized both nations, saying, "They (Iran) violated, but Israel violated it too. As soon as we made the deal, Israel came out and dropped a load of bombs... We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing."

He also claimed that Iran would not be able to rebuild its nuclear facilities after recent US airstrikes. "Iran will never be able to rebuild its nuclear facilities. From there? Absolutely not. That place is under rock. That place is demolished. The B2 pilots did their job better than anybody could have imagined."

Earlier, Trump had declared that Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire" just hours after Tehran targeted American air bases in the Middle East. He outlined a phased implementation of the deal, stating: "Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th Hour, an official end to the 12-Day War."

According to Reuters, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran's agreement to the US-proposed ceasefire following a phone call with Iranian officials. This conversation came after Trump contacted Qatar's Emir and informed him that Israel had agreed to the proposal and sought Doha's help in convincing Iran.

Despite the ceasefire announcement, tensions flared again. The Times of Israel reported that Iran launched missiles into Israel, killing four people and injuring several others in Beersheba. In response, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a limited strike on an Iranian radar installation north of Tehran.

The Times of Israel also reported that the Israeli response was scaled down significantly after a phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders agreed to carry out a single symbolic retaliatory strike rather than escalating the conflict. Most Israeli jets turned back, and only the radar site was targeted.

The ongoing hostilities trace back to June 13, when Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites. Iran retaliated with "Operation True Promise 3," a drone and missile campaign targeting Israeli infrastructure. The US joined the conflict with "Operation Midnight Hammer," targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, which prompted Iran to strike US bases in Qatar and Iraq.

The recent developments underscore the volatile nature of the region and the delicate balance being attempted through international diplomatic interventions.

- ANI