Trump Predicts Cease-Fire To Last 'Forever,' Calls It 'Wonderful Day For World'
- By RFE/RL
US President Donald Trump said the cease-fire he announced on June 23 between Israel and Iran represented “a wonderful day for the world” and that he believed the truce would last “forever,” according to remarks published by US network NBC.
"I think the cease-fire is unlimited. It's going to go forever," Trump told NBC.
The White House said Trump secured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s agreement for the cease-fire in a phone call on June 23.
The White House official said Israel agreed to the cease-fire on the condition that Iran not launch any further attacks against Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel said it was not planning any fresh attacks, although both sides were continuing to launch strikes in the countdown to the start of the cease-fire, expected to begin early on June 24.
Trump said earlier on social media that Iran and Israel had agreed to a “complete and total cease-fire” to be phased in over 24 hours.
The White House official said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff had also been involved in negotiations.
Israel and Iran have not officially commented.
Russia’s Medvedev Backs Off Iran Nuclear Comments After Trump Rebuke
- By RFE/RL
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on June 23 appeared to back off remarks suggesting Russia could supply Iran with nuclear warheads after his earlier comments were assailed by US President Donald Trump.
Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, criticized the June 21 US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, writing that a number of unnamed countries were prepared to supply Tehran with nuclear warheads.
In a social media post, Trump directly called out Medvedev, who has become a leading Russian hard-liner.
"Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the 'N word' (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran? Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination?"
Medvedev responded in a post on X: "Regarding President Trump's concerns: I condemn the US strike on Iran – it failed to achieve its objectives."
"However, Russia has no intention of supplying nuclear weapons to Iran because, unlike Israel, we are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty."
"But other countries might—and that's what was said. And we definitely shouldn't be arguing over who has more nukes. All the more so because the New START treaty, which I once signed with a US president, is still in force—for now," he said.
Iran's Araqchi Says No 'Agreement' Yet But Willing To Stop Attacks If Israel Does
- By RFE/RL
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi appeared to acknowledge that a pause in attacks had begun in the conflict with Israel, but his comments early on June 24 have caused some confusion following a cease-fire announcement by US President Donald Trump.
“At the moment, there is no agreement on the issue of a cease-fire or a cessation of operations,” he wrote on Telegram on June 24.
However, he added his country would stop responding with retaliatory strikes if Israel ceased attacking by 4 a.m.
“On the condition that the Israeli regime ceases its illegal aggression against the Iranian people by 4 a.m. today, we have no intention of continuing to respond.”
“The final decision on the cessation of military operations will be made by us at a later date,” he added.
Minutes later, he wrote: “The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 a.m.”
The posts threw a bit of confusion into the matter following comments by Trump that both sides had agreed to a phased cease-fire to begin early in the morning of June 24.
Trump said the cease-fire would start after both sides finished their “in-progress final missions” and attacks were reported in both countries after midnight.
Trump Declares ‘Complete, Total’ Cease-Fire In Israel-Iran Conflict
- By RFE/RL
US President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, announced that a “complete and total” cease-fire had been agreed to in the conflict between Israel and Iran, due to take effect in phased steps, potentially bringing an end to what he called the “12-day war.”
Trump said the cease-fire will begin in "approximately six hours" and be phased in over 24 hours, “at which point the War will be considered, ENDED.”
Despite the announcement, Israel reported multiple waves of Iranian missile attacks minutes ahead of the reported 7 a.m. start of the cease-fire. Israeli officials reported at least three people were killed in the city of Beersheba at around 6 a.m. when a high-rise building was hit.
Some details remained unclear following Trump’s detailed social media post on June 23.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi appeared to acknowledge that a pause in attacks was in the works, but his comments early on June 24 caused some confusion following Trump's cease-fire announcement.
“At the moment, there is no agreement on the issue of a cease-fire or a cessation of operations,” he wrote on Telegram in the first official comments by the Iranian government.
“However, on the condition that the Israeli regime ceases its illegal aggression against the Iranian people by 4 a.m. today, we have no intention of continuing to respond,” he added.
Israel did not immediately comment. It was not stated if Iran had agreed to terms set down by the United States demanding the end to uranium enrichment.
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3 Israelis Killed In Iranian Attack Minutes Before Planned Cease-Fire Start
- By RFE/RL
Three people were killed in the Israeli city of Beersheba when an Iranian rocket smashed into a high-rise apartment building, minutes before the reported 7 a.m. start of a cease-fire announced earlier by US President Donald Trump, Israeli officials said.
Details are still unclear from the southern Israeli city of some 214,000 people as sirens blared over multiple regions from 5 a.m. until 7 a.m. on June 24.
Trump announced that a “complete and total” cease-fire had been agreed to in the conflict between Israel and Iran and that it was due to take effect in phased steps.
Trump posted the announcement on his Truth Social platform, saying it would start "approximately" six hours later, which indicated a 7 a.m. start time in Israel.
Israel has not commented on the cease-fire announcement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi appeared to acknowledge that a pause in attacks had was in the works.
Sirens began blaring over the Haifa region at 5:15 a.m. in Israel after the military warned citizens of an incoming missile launch from Iran.
After 6 a.m., the military said another wave of missiles had been launched toward Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba.
Israeli officials reported that at least three people had been killed and another person was missing when the high-rise building in Beersheba was struck, although details were not immediately available.
With reporting by Reuters
Trump Says Cease-Fire 'Now In Effect'. Netanyahu Confirms Israel Accepts Trump's Proposal
- By RFE/RL
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, declared that an agreed cease-fire between Israel and Iran was in effect and issued a call to "not violate" it.
In an earlier post, Trump said Iran would start the cease-fire, with Israel joining 12 hours later.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said his country agreed to Trump's cease-fire proposal, claiming in a statement that Israel's goal of neutralizing the nuclear and ballistic missile threat from Iran had been achieved.