WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has expressed strong dissatisfaction with Israel’s actions following a ceasefire agreement with Iran, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of betrayal and jeopardizing peace efforts.
Speaking to journalists, Trump said that although both sides had agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on Iran within the first hour.
ABC News, in a report accompanied by video, quoted Trump as saying that Israel’s assault immediately after the ceasefire deal went into effect undermined the peace process and raised doubts about their intentions.
While acknowledging that Iran had also violated the ceasefire, Trump’s outrage was primarily directed at Israel. “Both countries have been fighting so long and so hard, they don’t even know what they’re doing anymore,” he added.
Trump later took to his Truth Social platform, reiterating that the ceasefire was still technically in effect and claiming that Israel would not carry out further strikes. “All aircraft will return. There will be a friendly plane wave toward Iran. No one will get hurt,” he posted, attempting to calm tensions.
International reports suggest Trump feels personally betrayed by Netanyahu. According to Al Jazeera, while Trump was angry at both Israel and Iran, his “extra fury” was aimed at the Israeli side. He had reportedly coordinated with Qatar to bring Iran on board with the ceasefire and personally called Netanyahu to urge restraint.
However, Netanyahu justified the attack by claiming that Iran had already broken the truce and that Israel’s response was limited in scale and targeted.
Trump’s rare public rebuke of a key US ally has reportedly put Israel under pressure, raising questions about trust and reliability in the bilateral relationship. The future of the ceasefire remains uncertain, with the next few hours and days likely to determine whether calm can be restored.
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