Donald Trump has called for an end to the escalating strikes between Iran and Israel, issuing a furious demand on social media this morning. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: 'Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting.'
Retaliatory Strikes Rock Region
His call came after Israel hit multiple targets in Iran today in retaliation for missile attacks launched against northern Israel. The fragile ceasefire in the region appears to be crumbling, though Trump insists it remains viable. Tit-for-tat strikes saw a major explosion rock Tehran this morning, according to reports from Al Jazeera. The Karun Petrochemical Company in Mahshahr, southwestern Iran, was also hit, Iranian outlets reported. The Israel Defense Forces stated on X that its air force 'struck several targets' at the complex.
Iran's Response and Ceasefire Efforts
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) previously claimed it had attacked a petrochemical plant in Israel's Haifa in response, along with two military bases. A short-term ceasefire was brokered in April, but the US and Iran have so far failed to agree on a lasting peace settlement. Yesterday evening, the IRGC said the strikes launched by Iran against northern Israel were in response to Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon. In a statement, it said: 'In response to the widespread crimes of the usurping Zionist regime in southern Lebanon and the large-scale killing and displacement of the oppressed people of Tyre, Nabatieh and other areas, including Beirut's Dahiyeh district, the Ramat David airbase, the origin of these aggressions, was targeted by ballistic missiles launched by the IRGC Aerospace Force.'
Trump's Stance on Peace Talks
Trump said on Sunday that new strikes by Israel and Iran would not affect peace talks. 'It's not going to have any impact on the deal,' he told the Financial Times. 'We'll see how it ends up. But they [the missile strikes on Israel] were attacks that did not kick at all.' Hours after his statement, Israel launched a wave of strikes on targets in western and central Iran. Amid the escalating violence, Trump has asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have no choice but to follow the US lead on a peace deal. Speaking to the Financial Times, Trump said: 'He won't have any choice. I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn't call the shots.'
