Israel at War

Britain, Italy and France pledged to pressure Israel, even as Washington told Lebanon's president the country would remain outside the Iran ceasefire deal.

The US has given Iran a 36 hour deadline to meet the ceasefire terms, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting all fire. The message came amid fears of violations on the ground and growing pressure on Tehran to honor its commitments. US officials stress that without full compliance, the conflict could resume.

Within 10 minutes and across several areas simultaneously, the IDF carried out a major blow against about 100 command centers and military infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah. It was the IDF's largest strike in Lebanon since the start of the current campaign.

Iranian television once again read out a statement attributed to the new supreme leader of the Islamic Republic referring to the ceasefire. The Times claims that Khamenei’s son is hospitalized in a coma in the city of Qom.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that an immediate ceasefire would take effect between Israel and Hezbollah. US sources were quoted as saying that “nothing is finalized yet.”

Just an hour and a half before he was due to carry out his threat to Iranian civilization, Trump announced a ceasefire. He also claimed that Iran had agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Israel had reportly agreed to the ceasefire and would suspend its strikes in Iran.

Iran continues to insist on collecting payments in Hormuz as compensation for war damage. Israel is preparing three lines of attack targeting energy facilities, research institutes and senior officials. The most important of them, Mohammad Vahidi, has already evaded more than one assassination attempt.

US officials say targets struck on Iran’s Kharg Island included bunkers, a radar station and ammunition depots. Trump: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

With about a day left before the deadline expires, the US president held a marathon of calls with regional leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the center of the talks was the possibility of a significant escalation in the fighting against the Iranian regime.

Tehran insists on a permanent end to hostilities, war reparations, sanctions relief, and international recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz – as Trump warns of strikes on power plants and bridges.