Iran’s Foreign Ministry told CNBC on Monday that Iranian forces had ceased attacks against Israel, but would resume engagements if the IDF continued to attack Lebanon.
Hours later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war against Iran and its Lebanon-based Hezbollah proxy group was “not over yet,” but insisted that both were weaker than ever.
Iran and Israel exchanged attacks Sunday night for the first time since the United States and Iran agreed to a fragile ceasefire in mid-April. The Islamic Republic fired missiles into northern Israel after accusing Jerusalem of repeated ceasefire violations through attacks on Lebanon, including Sunday’s attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel announced in response that it had launched a “massive attack on strategic defense systems.”
President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social early Monday that Israel and Iran are “aiming for an immediate ceasefire” despite recent outbreaks of violence.
“Final peace negotiations are underway, but ignorance and stupidity could get in the way,” Trump said. It added that the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman would not be lifted “until a ‘final agreement’ is reached.”
As the war, which was originally expected to last four to six weeks, surpassed 100 days on Sunday, President Trump insisted that “things must move quickly.”
“Israel and Iran must stop ‘shooting’ immediately,” Trump said in an earlier post Monday morning.
In a phone call with the Financial Times on Sunday, Trump said Netanyahu had “no choice” but to accept the deal the United States negotiated with Iran because “everything is decided by me.”
However, Iranian officials appeared to cast doubt on any kind of agreement with the US being forthcoming, telling MS NOW earlier on Sunday that “at this stage, an agreement with President Trump is no longer viable.”
The official blamed President Trump for the situation in Lebanon and the current escalation of hostilities.
As the dust settled, oil prices rebounded from their trading highs and rose more than 5%.
—CNBC’s Garrett Downs also contributed to this report.
