‘Ceasefire in effect, don’t violate it,’ says US President Trump even as both sides report continued attacks’

WASHINGTON, DC: US President Donald Trump has once again reiterated that the West Asia ceasefire is in effect and should not be violated.

In a post on Truth Social, the US President wrote, “The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it! Donald J. Trump, President of the United States.”

Earlier, Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire,” in what would bring about an end to the conflict just hours after Tehran targeted American Air bases in the Middle East. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Israel and Iran would likely exchange final blows over the next six hours before the deal would come into place on Tuesday.

“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,” he said.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Iran’s approval for a US-proposed ceasefire in the conflict with Israel, Reuters reported, quoting an official briefed on the negotiations.

PM Al Thani obtained Tehran’s agreement during a phone call with Iranian officials, Reuters reported. The conversation followed US President Donald Trump’s communication with Qatar’s Emir, in which Trump informed him that Israel had accepted the ceasefire proposal and requested Doha’s assistance in convincing Tehran to agree to the deal, as reported by Reuters.

Just after the announcement, Iran again launched missiles into Israel. The Times of Israel reported that 4 people were killed in Beersheba and several were injured in a hot on a residential building in the Southern city.

The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion”. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a large-scale drone and missile campaign called ‘Operation True Promise 3’, targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.

Tensions escalated further after the US conducted precision airstrikes early Sunday morning on three key Iranian nuclear facilities under “Operation Midnight Hammer.” Iran retaliated by launching multiple missiles at US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—the largest US military base in the region. (ANI)