Jerusalem -A potential ceasefire between Iran and Israel now hangs in the balance after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that both nations had agreed to a “complete and total” halt to hostilities. But while Iranian state television acknowledged conditional acceptance, Israel has yet to confirm any truce.
President Trump made the announcement Tuesday evening on Truth Social, stating the ceasefire would begin six hours after his post. “It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” he wrote at 6:00 p.m. Washington time. That timeline passed, but the situation remained fluid on the ground.
In Jerusalem and across southern Israel, residents were woken by air raid sirens early Wednesday. According to Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom (MDA), three people were killed after Iranian missiles hit Beersheba. The victims included a woman and man in their 40s and a man in his 20s.
“We saw thick smoke rising from the impact site,” MDA stated. “Inside one of the buildings, we found a man and a woman unconscious. A triage point was set up as we began checking residents coming out of the buildings.”
Iran launched the latest round of strikes following Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites on Saturday. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday. Qatar reported that all the missiles were intercepted.
Iranian state media described the missile barrage on the U.S. base as a “successful” military response. According to IRINN, the attack forced the U.S. to seek a ceasefire. “Trump begged for a ceasefire,” a presenter said, reading from a government-issued statement that also praised Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and armed forces.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed ongoing missile launches from Iran throughout the night. The IDF instructed citizens to stay in protected spaces. “This is the third wave of attacks within one hour,” the IDF posted on social media, noting that missile defense systems were actively intercepting incoming threats.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a brief statement: “Provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
Despite the signal from Tehran, Israeli government officials have not publicly responded. Meanwhile, explosions were reported in multiple cities, and sirens continued to sound in Israel’s northern regions.
The conflict erupted after Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday. U.S. officials said the attacks were aimed at permanently halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran responded by attacking the U.S. base in Qatar, followed by missile launches at Israel.
Trump, who previously withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, framed the ceasefire as a diplomatic win. “There’s a chance for diplomacy here,” a former senior U.S. official said. “But now let’s follow through.”
However, others in Washington voiced concern. Congresswoman Sara Jacobs said, “I’m glad President Trump isn’t escalating further. But bombing Iran was reckless and unconstitutional.”
The White House insists that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure has been destroyed, though independent verification is pending. Observers have not been allowed access to the targeted sites. It remains unclear whether Iran relocated any nuclear materials or equipment before the strikes.
With tensions still high and missiles flying, whether the fighting will truly stop depends on Israel’s next move. For now, the region watches and waits for either silence or more sirens.
