Israel said early Tuesday that it had agreed to a cease-fire with Iran, bringing a halt to 12 days of fighting that had raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East.
Iran said it had agreed to the deal, first announced by President Trump, a few hours before Israel.
As dawn broke in the region, uncertainty reigned.
Even amid talk of an imminent truce, Iran launched at least four barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, killing at least five people in a direct hit on an apartment building in the southern city of Beersheba.
The missiles repeatedly set off sirens that had millions of Israelis rushing in and out of bomb shelters for more than two hours.
The Israeli military said that in the previous hours, its warplanes had struck missile launchers in western Iran that were poised to fire at Israel.
But by around 7.30 a.m. in Israel, a tentative calm appeared to have taken hold as the military issued an all-clear, allowing people to exit bomb shelters.
There were no immediate reports of new Israeli strikes on Iran.
Soon after, President Trump announced the truce was now in force. “PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” he added.
Rescue workers are searching the ruins of this apartment building in Beersheba, searching for any potential survivors who might be trapped inside.
An Iranian missile hit the building this morning, killing at least four people.
Meanwhile, investors have welcomed the news of the cease-fire.
Markets jumped in Asia, where countries need energy imports to power their economies.
Stocks in South Korea surged the most at 3 percent. S&P 500 stock futures were about 1 percent higher, signaling an expected rise when trading begins in New York.
The price of oil has fallen back to around where it was before the fighting began nearly two weeks ago.
The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said in a televised statement that the military and air force would remain on high alert for any violations of the cease-fire.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany said he welcomes President Trump’s call for a cease-fire, and urged Israel and Iran to heed it.
Later on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, the United States and European countries would discuss ways to further stabilize the situation, Merz added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting last night with his cabinet, military and security chiefs and announced that Israel had “achieved all the goals” of its campaign in Iran and much beyond them, according to an official statement.
The “immediate” threat of a nuclear Iran has been removed, as well as the threat to Israel from Iranian ballistic missiles, the statement added.
Israel has agreed to a mutual cease-fire, the Israeli government said in a statement.
Having achieved its goals in its campaign in Iran, “and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the president’s proposal for a mutual cease-fire,” the Israeli government said in a statement.
President Trump just wrote on social media that the cease-fire between Israel and Iran is now in effect. “PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” he added.
Iranian state television has confirmed its assent to the truce, while the Israeli government has yet to comment since Trump announced the agreement last night.
Source – New York Times
(vitalnewsngr.com)
