Trump Demands Israel and Iran Halt Strikes as Ceasefire Frays
President Donald Trump ordered Israel and Iran to halt hostilities after missile strikes and airstrikes on June 7-8 breached their April ceasefire, warning both nations against further escalation.
Donald Trump issued the warning on June 8 through his Truth Social platform, according to Brussels Signal, following waves of Iranian missile attacks and Israeli airstrikes that represented the most serious breach of the April 8 truce.
The confrontation began when Iran launched missiles on June 7 in retaliation for Israeli air raids targeting Hezbollah positions in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon. Tehran had previously warned that any strikes on the Lebanese capital would constitute a red line.
Israel responded with airstrikes against what its military identified as facilities belonging to the Iranian regime in western and central Iran. The Israel Defense Forces said one target was a petrochemical complex in Khuzestan province, southwest Iran, that produces raw materials for missile production.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it struck industrial sites in the Israeli port city of Haifa, home to the country’s largest oil refinery, in response. The Guard accused the United States of enabling the escalation and warned that continued strikes on energy infrastructure would have global economic repercussions.
Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported explosions in Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan, stating that air defenses had intercepted a drone over the capital. No immediate casualty figures were released.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, proceeded with retaliatory strikes despite Trump urging restraint, as Brussels Signal reports. The President told Axios he had planned to phone Netanyahu directly to argue that both sides had taken their turn and further escalation was unnecessary.
Trump also called on Iran to abandon additional launches and return to negotiations. The President has indicated the two governments are close to reaching an agreement, with the primary obstacle being guarantees that Tehran will neither develop nor acquire nuclear weapons.
The renewed violence sent oil prices climbing nearly 5 percent, with Brent crude surpassing $97 per barrel, and complicated US-led diplomatic efforts to achieve a broader regional settlement. Yemen’s Houthi rebels also launched attacks against Israel as the conflict spread.
With information from Brussels Signal
