Washington, DC – In a significant development in the regional confrontation, US President Donald Trump on Monday urged both Israel and Iran to immediately cease fire. This came in a message posted on his official Truth Social platform, in which he asserted: “Israel and Iran must immediately stop firing.”
Israeli airstrikes target Iranian energy facilities
This call comes as Israel continues its military operations, announcing today that it bombed a petrochemical complex in southwestern Iran. In addition, it targeted military sites in other areas, despite reports that Trump had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to refrain from launching further attacks.
In this context, Israel confirmed that it bombed targets at the Mahshahr petrochemical complex. This is the first strike on an Iranian energy site since the ceasefire began on April 8. A local official told the Fars News Agency that parts of the plant sustained damage.
Trump: “I am the one who makes the decisions.”
Amid this escalation, Trump asserted that the tit-for-tat actions would not affect the peace talks his administration was conducting with Tehran. He also emphasized in remarks to the Financial Times that the final decision rested with him, not Netanyahu, stating, “This will have no impact on the agreement… I make all the decisions.”
Military exchange and economic repercussions
For his part, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yehiel Leiter stated via the X platform that Iran had launched 11 ballistic missiles toward Israel. He also confirmed that Israel had targeted missile launch sites and Iranian infrastructure. He further indicated that Israel would not tolerate such attacks.
It is worth noting that Trump recently pressed for an end to the wider war, amidst continued Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. This coincided with an Iranian missile response that threatened ongoing negotiations.
These tensions were directly reflected in global markets, with oil prices jumping by more than three percent. Following this, Brent crude futures rebounded to levels exceeding $96 per barrel.
