The Hague – Arab Canada News

U.S. President Donald Trump announced today, Sunday, that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran is officially in effect, confirming that Israel "will not carry out any new airstrikes," following two days of military escalation between the two sides.

Trump's remarks came as he boarded the presidential aircraft "Air Force One" en route to The Hague in the Netherlands to attend a NATO summit, where he said:

“This was a war that could have gone on for years, and destroy the entire Middle East… but that did not happen, and after 24 hours of the agreement starting, the world will witness an official end to the 12-day war.”

Trump added that he gave direct orders to both parties to de-escalate, accusing both Israel and Iran of "violating the agreement in the early hours." He confirmed that he personally spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel the additional Israeli strikes that were scheduled for early Sunday.

Discrepancy in narratives between the two sides

Despite Washington's announcement, Iranian state media reported that the Israeli army continues to carry out strikes on targets within Iranian territory, accusing the U.S. administration of "media manipulation" and covering up the attacks.

In contrast, an Israeli official told "Axios" that the Israeli attack on nuclear and military sites within Iran occurred with prior U.S. approval, adding that "Israel did not breach the agreement but responded to Iranian violations."

The American stance

Earlier this morning, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Washington is "closely monitoring the developments," adding that "the Trump administration succeeded in defusing direct escalation," without confirming or denying the continuation of Israeli airstrikes.

According to the Associated Press, the United States has evacuated 79 employees from its embassy in Tel Aviv, and more than 6,400 Americans in Israel received guidance on evacuation options.

A fragile ceasefire under test

Between Washington's announcement of the ceasefire taking effect and the ongoing mutual bombardment according to both sides' narratives, the existing truce appears fragile and prone to collapse at any moment. The international community is watching to see whether this calm will hold, or if the region is on the brink of renewed escalation.