Israel & Iran Came to Me: Trump Repeats Ceasefire Claim Amid Fresh Missile Strikes

Washington: Despite a new wave of missile attacks from Iran targeting Israel, former US President Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that both countries had approached him seeking peace, prompting his public declaration of a ceasefire.

Posting on his platform Truth Social, Trump stated:

“Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, 'peace'! I knew the time was NOW. The World, and the Middle East, are the real winners!”

He added:

“Both Nations will see tremendous love, peace, and prosperity in their futures. They have so much to gain, and yet, so much to lose if they stray from the road of righteousness & truth. The future for Israel & Iran is unlimited, and filled with great promise. God bless you both!”

Trump’s renewed statements came shortly after six additional missiles were launched by Iran, prompting Israel’s Home Front Command to instruct civilians to seek shelter. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that defensive systems were engaged, and a ballistic missile had struck a building in Beersheba. So far, no injuries have been reported, but emergency services, including Magen David Adom, have been dispatched for impact assessment.

This latest attack came after Iran had earlier announced a unilateral ceasefire, effective from 4 a.m. local time, but with a critical condition—that Israel must also halt its military operations. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has since clarified that no formal ceasefire proposal was received from the United States, contradicting Trump’s assertion.

Tehran maintains that it has paused military activity temporarily, awaiting signs of restraint from Israel. However, Israel has yet to issue any official response to either the ceasefire declaration or Trump’s comments.

The conflict, now entering its 12th day, began with Israel’s launch of “Operation Rising Lion”, targeting key Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. In retaliation, Iran has conducted multiple missile strikes on Israeli territory, escalating tensions.

According to available estimates, the war has already resulted in approximately 400 casualties in Iran and around 24 deaths in Israel.

The conflict escalated significantly when the United States launched airstrikes on three of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.

With inputs from IANS