President Trump says Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire
UPDATE (7:31 PM): President Donald Trump says a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is back into effect, and says Israel is not going ahead with a planned attack on Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed Israel refrained from further attacks following a phone call between President Trump and Netanyahu on Air Force One directly after these comments.
"We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what they're doing," Trump said.
The ceasefire appeared to be unraveling almost as soon as it began in the early morning hours.
Israel accused Iran of violating it by launching missiles and promised powerful strikes in Tehran. Iran denied violating the truce, accusing Israel of being at fault.
"These guys gotta calm down...ridiculous," the president expressed.
Trump initially announced the pause in fighting was in effect, with Israel and Iran both agreeing, following a wave of Iranian attacks which killed at least four people in southern Israel.
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Just hours after Iran rained down missiles over Qatar at a U.S. military base, President Donald Trump said both Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire.
But while the President touts this agreement, neither Iran nor Israel have commented
President Trump declared a ceasefire between Iran and Israel is now in effect Tuesday adding, "Please do not violate it."
Israel announced it has agreed to the pause in fighting as Iranian English-language state media said the ceasefire was beginning following a final wave of Iranian attacks which killed at least three people in southern Israel.
A senior White House official saying the ceasefire came together after Iran signaled it no longer wanted to fight, and Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "No more war."
The president reached out to Qatar to speak with Iran, according to a source familiar with the talks, with Vice President J.D. Vance helping coordinate.
"For the Iranians, I think this is a new opportunity to actually pursue the path of peace," Vice President Vance said.
In a phone call with NBC News, Trump saying, "I think the ceasefire is unlimited. It's going to go forever."
The rapid developments come after Iran fired missiles at U.S. troops in Qatar Monday in retaliation for the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
The president saying the U.S. expected and countered what he called Iran's "very weak response," and said no Americans were harmed.
Trump administration officials pressed Iran not to try to rebuild its nuclear program amid reports, the White House, disputes that Iran may have moved some equipment and uranium from its nuclear sites before the U.S. strikes.
"It will be a good long time before we know, if we ever learn, whether we were able to actually destroy the stocks of 60% enriched uranium," said Representative Jim Himes (D-CT).
Now, fragile hopes for a peace that can last.
The developments in the Middle East will take center stage, among global allies, as Trump heads to the NATO Summit in the Netherlands Tuesday.
