In a forceful message, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to Israel: back off from attacking Iran, or risk violating a freshly brokered ceasefire. The public rebuke, delivered in all-caps on his Truth Social platform, came just hours after Trump himself had announced a carefully timed truce to end the 12-day conflict between the longtime adversaries.
But the ink had barely dried on the ceasefire deal before explosions lit up Iranian skies, Israeli jets took off, and mutual blame reignited tensions that threatened to spiral into something far more dangerous.
“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
— Donald Trump on Truth Social
The message was not subtle. In a rare display of public admonishment toward a close U.S. ally, Trump attempted to put the brakes on Israel’s military momentum. The urgency was unmistakable: he wanted Israeli jets grounded immediately to preserve a fragile ceasefire he’d personally negotiated.
Earlier that day, Trump unveiled a phased truce: Iran would halt hostilities first, Israel would follow 12 hours later, and full cessation would be recognized after 24 hours. It was a delicate, face-saving compromise designed to prevent further escalation after Israeli strikes allegedly targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.
But within hours, that structure unraveled.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Iran of breaking the deal and promptly ordered retaliatory strikes in Tehran. Explosions were reported across Iranian cities. In response, Iran denied any ceasefire violations, calling the Israeli strikes unprovoked and unjustified.
Trump, watching the situation deteriorate, attempted to project calm through another post:
“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt; the ceasefire is in effect!”
But reality on the ground told a different story. Israeli air activity increased. Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on X: “Tehran will tremble,” a message widely seen as a direct challenge to the ceasefire’s legitimacy.
Before heading to the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump didn’t hide his displeasure: “They violated it, but Israel violated it too. I’m not happy with Israel. Israel has to calm down.”
He lamented that Israel retaliated so soon after the agreement, undermining his diplomatic efforts and casting doubt on his ability to de-escalate the conflict.
