Israel–Iran Cease-Fire Takes Hold After Pressure From Trump

President Donald Trump says a cease-fire between Iran and Israel was “in effect” on Tuesday, after expressing deep frustration with both sides for violating the agreement he brokered.

Israel earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect. The Iranian military denied firing on Israel, state media reported.

Trump expressed anger and frustration as he told reporters at the White House that both Israel, a close ally, and Iran had violated the ceasefire plan. But later he said the deal was saved, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later said he held off on a tougher strike against Iran after speaking to Trump.

Witkoff said the United States and Iran are engaged in direct talks and through intermediaries about getting back to the table after Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities ended Tuesday in a ceasefire that Trump helped mediate.

Speaking in a televised statement, he listed Israel’s achievements in the war, including its attacks on top generals and nuclear scientists. He said Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, along with the Arak heavy water reactor.

Dorothy Shea told a Security Council meeting on compliance with the 2015 agreement that Iran also violated U.N. resolutions by providing weapons to Yemen’s Houthi terrorists, Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, and by transferring hundreds of drones to Russia in 2022 to use in attacks against Ukraine.

“Iran’s failure to uphold its nonproliferation obligations has prolonged conflicts and perpetuated instability across the Middle East and beyond for many years,” she said.

Shea warned that “The United States will not turn a blind eye to Iran’s noncompliance and ongoing threat to regional stability.”

She said U.S. airstrikes June 21 on three Iranian nuclear facilities were aimed at mitigating Iran’s threat to Israel, the region and more broadly to international peace and security—and degraded its capacity to produce a nuclear weapon.

A 2024 report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration contained estimates suggesting that roughly 80 percent to 90 percent of the oil exported by Iran went to China.

“The strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were clearly within President Trump's Article II powers as commander-in-chief. It shouldn’t even be in dispute,” he said at a press briefing.

“The framers of our Constitution never intended for the president to seek the approval of Congress every time he exercises his constitutional authority under Article II, as commander-in-chief.”

Johnson went on to suggest that the War Powers Act of 1973, which requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing forces to military action, is itself unconstitutional.

Lavrov spoke Tuesday in Moscow. He also asserted that there was no evidence Iran had been preparing an attack on Israel before Israel attacked.

Ambassador Joshua Zarka said, “The fact that the whole group disappeared is basically throwing back the program by a number of years.”

“At this time, the Air Force is operating to intercept and strike wherever necessary to eliminate the threat,” the Israeli Air Force said in a post on the social media platform X.

Trump, in comments to reporters at the White House before departing for the NATO summit at The Hague, expressed disappointment about the continued attacks.

“They violated it, but Israel violated it too,” Trump said. He added, ”I’m not happy with Israel.”

“These guys got to calm down ... I didn't like plenty of things I saw yesterday. I didn't like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. They didn't have to unload, and I didn't like the fact that the retaliation was very strong,” the president said.

“Israel unloaded a lot, and now I hear Israel just went out because they felt it was violated by one rocket that didn't land anywhere.”

He told reporters Tuesday that the Iranian attack had left a “scar” on his country’s relationship with Tehran.

Al Thani said Qatar will not resort to escalatory steps, but will rely on legal measures and diplomacy instead when responding to the attack. He added that Qatar intercepted all missiles except one that fell in a deserted area.