Israel reluctantly accepts Trump backed ceasefire with Iran, despite more targets planned, US strikes seen as warning, Israeli officials doubt truce will last
An Israeli source familiar with the matter said that Israel will abide by the ceasefire decision taken by US President Donald Trump but is doing so reluctantly, according to CNN.
The source said Israel still has additional military targets inside Iran and broader strategic goals it had intended to pursue, indicating unease within the Israeli establishment over pausing operations at this stage.
Despite these reservations, Israeli leadership has publicly aligned with Washington. When asked in March whether Israel would halt its attacks if the US reached a ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stopped short of a direct answer but acknowledged the US President’s leadership.
“Ultimately, President Trump makes his own decisions, and do I respect them? Yes, I do,” Netanyahu said during an interview earlier in March.
US Signals Through Strikes
According to AP, the US administration had communicated to Israeli officials that recent military strikes on Iran were meant as a strategic signal rather than a full escalation.
The strikes targeted military assets on Kharg Island as well as major petrochemical hubs in Mahshahr and Assaluyeh earlier on Tuesday. Officials indicated these actions were designed to demonstrate to Tehran what could follow if the conflict intensified further.
A person familiar with internal deliberations said some Israeli officials believed Trump, despite his increasingly strong rhetoric, may have been seeking an off-ramp as his self-imposed deadline approached.