Iran Israel News: Trump Says 'Don't Want Regime Change'; Iran Says Won't Attack Unless Israel Does First

• US President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed both Iran and Israel over accusations of ceasefire violations.

• Although both nations agreed to the ceasefire in the end, initially, Iranian officials rejected the ceasefire announcement. 

• A day after floating the possibility of regime change in Iran, US President Donald Trump said today that he does not want a regime change in Iran because he does not want to see 'chaos', CNN reported.

• Two days after launching missile strikes on Iran's three nuclear sites amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, the United States on Tuesday released a video of its B-2 Spirit stealth bombers taking off from the Whiteman Air Force base near Missouri

In a dramatic escalation, Iran launched missile strikes targeting US military bases in Qatar and Iraq late Monday night, firing ten missiles at the Al Udeid base in Qatar and one at a US facility in Iraq.

All missiles were reportedly intercepted, with no casualties or damage confirmed so far. Tehran described the strikes as a proportionate response, pointing to the recent U.S. assault on its nuclear facilities, and saying that they had used the same number of bombs that the US had used this weekend.

Moreover, soon after the Iranian action, Axios, a US news portal, posted on X, quoting unidentified official sources in the Trump Administration as saying, "Iran coordinated its attack on Al Udeid Air Base with Qatar, and the Trump administration was aware of the threat in advance."

Read Full Story: Iran Attacks US Bases: The Countdown Begins

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says there is no agreement on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations as of now.

“However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time [00:30 GMT], we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he wrote on X.

“The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”

US President Donald Trump in a social media post declared that Israel and Iran have agreed for ceasefire in the next 24 hours.

His post read, “CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!

“Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL.

“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, “THE 12 DAY WAR.”

“This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”

Trump communicated directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the ceasefire, according to a senior White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the Monday talks.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff communicated with Iranians through direct and indirect channels.

The White House has maintained that the Saturday bombing by the U.S. on Iran helped get Israel to agree to the ceasefire and that the Qatari government helped to broker the deal.

Iran’s foreign minister said Iran would stop its attacks if Israel would, though it’s unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks as he had said on social media that he would not surrender.

- Associated Press

The Israeli Defence Forces have asked the public in the country to leave their shelters. The announcement signals that the missile barrage has ended.

Sirens are sounding across northern Israel and some areas in the south following the launch of ballistic missiles from Iran.

An early warning was given to most areas in the country, as the IDF detected the Iranian attack.

The attack comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that was supposed to take effect in the coming day.

- Times Of Israel

Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire, but there were no reports of Israeli strikes in Iran after 4 a.m. local.

Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Tehran and other cities until shortly before that time, reported AP.

Israel in other conflicts has stepped up its strikes just before ceasefires took effect.

The Times Of Israel reported that sirens sound were heard across central and southern Israel amid a second salvo of ballistic missiles launched from Iran.

Earlier TOI also reported sirens heard in northern Israel.

An early warning was also given to most areas in the country, as the IDF detected the Iranian attack.

Civilians in areas where sirens are sounding are instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice after IDF had asked people to leave their shelters.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung have both cancelled their plans to attend a NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague this week following the US military strikes on Iran.

A spokesperson for South Korea’s presidential office said Lee’s absence would be due to “a confluence of domestic matters and the volatile situation in the Middle East”.

Ishiba’s office cited “various circumstances” as the reason for his last-minute cancellation, but Japan is also in the midst of a series of grim anniversaries marking 80 years since the end of World War II. They include the anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa this week, which killed 200,000 people – many of them civilians – and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August.

Japan and South Korea were two of the four non-NATO countries invited to attend the event, alongside Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last week he would also not attend the summit in person.

All three leaders will send deputies in their place.

According to Times Of Israel, three people were declared dead after an Iranian ballistic missile struck an apartment block in Beersheba.

Several others are wounded and as per reports, three people are in critical condition, one person who is moderately hurt, and five lightly injured.

It is reported that again sirens blared across central Israel and some areas in the south amid a third salvo of ballistic missiles from Iran.

Iran state TV news channel IRINN has announced the ceasefire by saying that it has been “imposed” on Israel following the “successful” Iran attack on the US base in Qatar.

State TV said in a statement that Trump “begged” for a ceasefire following Iran’s attack. The statement was read aloud by the presenter.

The statement also hailed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Army and praised the “resistance” of Iranians.

The statement also called Iran’s attack on the US base in Qatar as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' “successful” response to the US attacking three Iranian nuclear sites, while Qatar said all missiles were intercepted.

The Israeli military said it has identified new incoming missiles launched from Iran, and has issued another order for residents to take over.

“The defence systems are working to intercept the threat. You must enter the protected areas upon receiving the alert, and remain there until further notice,” according to the statement posted on X.

“Exiting the protected area will only be possible after receiving explicit instructions,” it added.

The government has earlier reported several casualties from Iranian strikes on Tuesday morning, hours after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

Some US Democrats have been reacting to Trump's claim of a ceasefire with mild praise.

"I give extremely high marks to this national security team and President Trump for managing this crisis," Brett McGurk, former President Joe Biden's Middle East coordinator, shared in an interview with CNN.

"But now let's follow through. There's a chance for diplomacy here," he added.

"I'm glad that President Trump isn't escalating further" Congresswoman Sara Jacobs wrote on X.

"But that doesn't change the fact that bombing Iran was reckless, unconstitutional, and hurts US credibility to negotiate a permanent, verifiable deal."

Trump's Truth Social post announcing the ceasefire between Iran and Israel was set to start "approximately 6 hours" from when he made the announcement earlier in the US night. That time has just passed.

"It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!)," Trump wrote at 18:00 local time in Washington. It is now just past midnight.

Israel has not however publicly accepted the ceasefire proposal. Iran state TV announced a short while ago that a ceasefire had been "imposed" on Israel.

- BBC

Press TV says the ceasefire between Israel and Iran has begun following several waves of attacks on Israeli territory, reported Al Jazeera.

Iranian state television announced the ceasefire in a graphic on screen, not immediately acknowledging the new missile barrage coming after the deadline set by President Donald Trump in his earlier ceasefire announcement.

The Israel Airports Authority said the barrages from Iran forced them to close the skies to all passenger planes, including emergency flights that were expected to land and depart on Tuesday.

Some flights were forced to circle over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Israeli media.

Israeli firefighters said they retrieved four bodies from a building hit by an Iranian missile in the city of Beersheba.

The direct hit in the largest city in southern Israel comes just days after the city’s hospital sustained significant damage in a missile strike.

The search and rescue team said they retrieved four bodies from one building in Beersheba and were searching for more, reported Associated Press.

At least eight other people were reported injured, and two of them were taken to a hospital for treatment, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Israel’s Channel 14, a woman in her 40s was among those people killed in the strike in the country’s southern area.

Also killed was a man in his 40s and a young man in his 20s, the report said.

In addition, emergency workers evacuated two people in their 50s, who sustained “moderate” injuries, while six others, who sustained light injuries, were treated on site.

Israel’s Airports Authority said the country’s airspace has reopened for emergency flights after closing earlier due to an hours long barrage of missiles from Iran.

According to Israeli media, there were six waves of missile barrage on Israel before Iran state TV confirmed beginning of ceasefire.

Tehran’s state-run Press TV announced that a ceasefire with Israel has officially come into effect, shortly after Iran launched a series of missile barrages toward Israeli targets. While Iran declared an end to hostilities, Israeli authorities have not publicly confirmed or responded to the announcement.

According to Press TV, the ceasefire began following the conclusion of Iran’s final wave of missile strikes on Tuesday morning. The barrage, which Iran described as a "proportionate response" to recent U.S. attacks on its nuclear infrastructure, reportedly marked the end of what Tehran has referred to as its "final retaliatory mission."

Read Full Story: Iranian Television Declares Ceasefire After Missile Barrages; Israel Remains Silent

At least 24 Palestinians desperately seeking food aid amid widespread hunger in Gaza have been killed in an Israeli attack in the besieged territory’s central area, according to Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit, Sanad.

According to the report, the victims were killed while waiting for food at Salah al-Din Street just south of Wadi Gaza in the centre of the Strip.

Footage obtained by Sanad showed the bodies of the victims piling up at Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex and al-Awda Hospital.

Israeli attacks on Palestinians near aid centres have killed more than 400 people and wounded about 1,000 since the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began aid distribution on May 27.

- Al Jazeera

Israel has officially confirmed that it has agreed to the US proposal for a bilateral ceasefire with Iran while mentioning that they will “respond forcefully” to any violations of the truce.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office issued a statement few minutes back informing that he met with the cabinet, the defense minister, the IDF chief of staff and the head of the Mossad “to report that Israel had achieved all of the objectives of Operation Rising Lion, and much more.”

“Israel has removed a dual immediate existential threat – both in the nuclear and ballistic missile fields,” the statement read.

According to the statement, “the IDF achieved full air control over Tehran’s skies, inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets.”

The statement also announces for the first time that another senior nuclear scientist was killed.

“Even in the past day, the IDF dealt major blows to regime targets in the heart of Tehran, eliminated hundreds of Basij operatives, the regime’s oppression apparatus, and assassinated another senior nuclear scientist,” the statement reads.

“Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat,” the statement reads.

“In light of the achievement of the operation’s objectives, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the president’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire,” the PMO says, adding that Israel “will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.”

US President Donald Trump had earlier said that a ceasefire would take effect, shortly after at least four people were killed when an Iranian ballistic missile hit a residential building in Beersheba.

- Source: Times Of Israel

According to the recent statement, Netanyahu met his cabinet along with the minister of defence and the head of the Mossad last night “to report that Israel had achieved all of the objectives of Operation Rising Lion, and much more”.

“Israel has removed a dual immediate existential threat – both in the nuclear and ballistic missile fields,” the statement said.

The Israeli military “achieved full air control over Tehran’s skies, inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets”, it said.

“In light of the achievement of the operation’s objectives, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the president’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire,” it added.

“Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.”

At least nine people have been killed and four homes destroyed in an attack in northern Iran, local officials say.

The governor’s office in Gilan says 33 people were also injured in what it’s calling a “terrorist” attack on the city of Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh.

Iranian media reports say Israel was behind the attack.

The deputy governor of Gilan says 16 of those killed or injured are women and children.

Some media outlets are reporting that Mohammad Reza Seddiqi, a nuclear scientist, was among the dead.

The Israeli military has also just mentioned the killing of a senior nuclear scientist overnight.

- BBC

Times of Israel reported that at least one ballistic missile was launched from Iran at Israel in the latest attack, after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect.

The missile was likely intercepted.

Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has instructed the IDF to “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.”

Two ballistic missiles were fired from Iran at Israel after a ceasefire was supposed to take effectץ Both were intercepted.

- Source: Times Of Israel

Qatar summons the Iranian ambassador after Iran attacked the major US military base on Qatari soil following American strikes on its nuclear facilities.

The foreign ministry expresses its “strong condemnation” of the attack and repeats that it “retains the right to respond to this egregious violation,” a statement says.

- AFP

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says he has written to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to propose a meeting, and urged cooperation after a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced.

Soon after the announcement of the truce, Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel, which vowed to respond forcefully.

Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says in a post on X that Iran resuming cooperation with the agency could lead to a diplomatic solution to the long-standing controversy over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. However, it has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. Israel says Tehran has recently taken steps toward weaponization.

- Reuters

The general staff of Iran’s armed forces has denied the Israeli claim that it launched missiles at Israel over the past few hours in a short statement carried by state media.

Earlier, Israel said it will strike “in the heart of Tehran” after alleging Iran violated the ceasefire announced by Trump.

- Al Jazeera.

The Kremlin says Russia supports Iran “with its clear position” on condemning US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and that Moscow intends to further develop its ties with Tehran.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov makes the comment in response to a question about criticism from some commentators who have suggested Russia did not do enough to support Iran, with which it has a strategic partnership pact.

Peskov says that “many people are trying to spoil relations between Moscow and Tehran by adding fuel to the fire.”

He notes that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who held talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, has said he highly valued Russia’s role.

- Times of Israel.

Israel’s military waged attacks on Iran in three stages on Tuesday until 9am local time (05:30 GMT), state TV quoted the spokesperson of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters as saying.

According to the ceasefire timeline set out by Trump, Iran is to observe the ceasefire first, starting at 7:30am local time (04:00 GMT), with Israel following suit 12 hours later (16:00 GMT).

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has warned its armed forces are prepared to “decisively respond” to any renewed attacks.

- Al Jazeera.

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar has considered responding to Iran’s attack on Al Udeid but always acts with “reason and prudence”.

“The message we would like to send out is that Qatar … succeeded in proving to all that it is capable of defending its territory, its homeland, its people and the residents in Qatar,” he said.

Source: Al Jazeera

The UN has confirmed that some of its international staff and their dependants will be leave Iran, following the conflict between Tehran and Israel.

Speaking in Geneva on Tuesday, Alessandra Vellucci, the director of the UN Information Service, refused to comment on the number of people affected.

“The UN has decided to temporarily move some non-programme critical international personnel as well as the dependants of international personnel,” said Vellucci

Source: Al Jazeera

"ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!" says US President Trump says on Truth Social on Israeli attacks on Iran.

Source: Anadolu English

French President Emmanuel Macron said that there is an “increased” risk that Iran will attempt to enrich uranium secretly following US and Israeli strikes on its nuclear sites.

“This risk has indeed increased with what has happened recently,” Macron told reporters, calling it “one of the main risks for the region and the international community”.

He added that “we must absolutely prevent Iran from going down this path”.

Source: CNN

American President Donald Trump told reporters that he thinks both sides “violated it”.

“I’m not sure they did it intentionally. They couldn’t reign people back,” he said.

But Trump said he is especially displeased with Israel, which “dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen” right after agreeing to a truce.

“When I say, ‘you have 12 hours’, you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” Trump complained.

“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing”, Trump concluded before boarding Marine One.

Source: Al Jazeera

President Donald Trump claimed that Iran will “never” be able to rebuild its nuclear program following US strikes on its nuclear sites, when asked whether Iran has the capability to recover from the recent attacks.

“Iran will never rebuild itself,” Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for the NATO summit in the Netherlands.

Trump praised the US military, specifically the pilots involved in the operation, saying, “The B-2 pilots did their job, they did it better than anybody could even imagine.”

The president continued to dismiss reports from several outlets suggested the strikes had limited effect.

Source: CNN

US President Donald Trump insisted that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains “in effect” in a new post on Truth Social.

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” he wrote.

Source: Al Jazeera

After US President Trump's call for Tel Aviv not to attack Iran, Israeli jets hit radar near Tehran, says Iranian Media

Source: Anadolu English

Donald Trump has called Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him not to attack Iran, an Axios reporter said in a X post, citing an Israeli official.

Netanyahu reportedly told Trump that he was unable to cancel the attack and that it was needed because Iran violated the ceasefire, the Axios reporter said.

The attack would be significantly scaled back and would not hit a large number of targets but only strike one target, according to the report.

Source: Al Jazeera

The Kremlin has welcomed the news of a ceasefire between its ally Iran and Israel on Tuesday, a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

“If a ceasefire has indeed been reached, then this can and should only be welcomed,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters during his daily briefing on Tuesday.

“This is what the Russian Federation has been calling for from the very beginning of this conflict,” he said, adding, “We hope that this will be a sustainable ceasefire.”

Iran has been one of Russia’s strongest allies during its war on Ukraine and Moscow was quick to condemn US attacks against Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

Source: CNN

US President Trump says he does not want to see regime change in Iran, warns such change would cause chaos.

Source: Anadolu English

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed both Iran and Israel over accusations of ceasefire violations. Asking Israel to refrain from bombing Iran, Trump in his latest post on the Truth Social platform, said, "Israel. Do not drop those bombs. If you do, it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now! Donald J. Trump, President of the United States."

Trump on Monday brokered the peace talks between Iran and Israel, a day after the US struck three nuclear facilities in Iran, a senior White House official told Reuters. According to reports, Trump held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while his team, including Vice President JD Vance allegedly held discussions with Iran. 

However, expressing clear dissatisfaction over the mutual ceasefire violation allegations, Trump told reporters, "I didn’t like that Israel ‘unloaded’ immediately after agreeing to a ceasefire", while adding, "I’m not happy with Iran either."

READ FULL REPORT HERE

Iran has confirmed the deaths of two more senior military officials as a result of Israeli attacks targeting Tehran on Monday, Al Jazeera reported.

Alireza Lotfi, who was deputy head of intelligence at Iran’s police force, was killed in an air strike.

Moreover, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the death of Mohammad Taghi Yousefvand, the head of the intelligence protection department of the paramilitary Basij force that operates under the IRGC.

A day after floating the possibility of regime change in Iran, US President Donald Trump said today that he does not want a regime change in Iran because he does not want to see 'chaos', CNN reported

“No, if there was, there was, but no, I don’t want it. I’d like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible. Regime change takes chaos, and ideally, we don’t want to see so much chaos,” the president said.

“You know, the Iranians are very good traders, very good business people, and they’ve got a lot of oil. They should be fine. They should be able to rebuild and do a good job. They’re never going to have nuclear but other than that, they should do a great job."

Citing media reports, Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran will respect the truce with Israel as long as Israel does.

Pezeshkian also said Iran is open to dialogue and would protect the interests of Iranians at the negotiating table.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that the ceasefire between Iran and Israel 'must hold'.

"This is an opportunity to secure much-needed stability in the Middle East. Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, and they must now return to the table and work towards a lasting settlement," he says in a post on X.

"That’s the message that I’m discussing with other leaders at Nato today," Starmer added, referring to the NATO summit taking place in the Netherlands.

The Red Crescent Society of Iran has announced that four of its ambulance workers were killed by the Israeli military over the last 12 days, Al Jazeera reported.

The emergency organisation released their pictures and identified the medics as Mojtaba Maleki, Mehdi Zartaji, Amirhossein Jamshidpour and Yasser Zivari.

As a fragile ceasefire hangs by a thread over Iran and Israel, US President Donald Trump, the man responsible for the truce, is clearly angry and frustrated over Israel not falling in line with his peace move. He is irritated with Iran as well, but much more so with his friend Benjamin Netanyahu for unloading a pack of bombs over Central Tehran soon after he announced a ceasefire on social media.

Israel possibly wanted to do as much damage as possible before the deadline, and fired a couple of missiles at Israel in retaliation.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Two days after launching missile strikes on Iran's three nuclear sites amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, the United States on Tuesday released a video of its B-2 Spirit stealth bombers taking off from the Whiteman Air Force base near Missouri ahead of striking Iran's nuclear facilities during its Operation Midnight Hammer over the weekend.

Marking a major escalation in the ongoing turmoil in West Asia, the United States on Sunday, June 22, ensured its official entry into the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict by carrying out coordinated air and missile strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.

READ FULL REPORT HERE