Israel has expressed support for the United Statesโ temporary ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised that the agreement does not include conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Netanyahuโs office said Israel welcomed US President Donald Trumpโs decision to pause strikes against Iran for a period of two weeks. The pause is conditional on Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting all attacks against the US, Israel, and other regional countries.
The statement also highlighted Israelโs backing for Washingtonโs broader efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons or advancing missile capabilities that could threaten the region.
However, Netanyahu made it clear that Israelโs support for the ceasefire with Iran does not extend to potential confrontations with Hezbollah, signalling continued vigilance along Israelโs northern border.
Trump’s ceasefire announcement
US President Donald Trump has said that planned military strikes against Iran will be put on hold for two weeks. He announced the decision on his Truth Social platform just before his erstwhile deadline that risked heightening tensions.
Trump described the pause as a โdoubleโsided ceasefire,โ suggesting that both the United States and Iran are expected to refrain from aggressive actions during this period.
According to the US President, the halt in attacks came after Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil shipments.
In his post, Trump also said that the United States had already achieved its main military goals in Iran. He added that Washington had received a 10โpoint proposal from Tehran that addressed all of the issues that had previously caused conflict between the two countries.
โI agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,โ Trump posted on Truth Social.