President Donald Trump lashed out at Israel and Iran on Tuesday, accusing both sides of undermining a fragile ceasefire and warning their actions risk reigniting conflict. "These guys have to calm down. It's ridiculous," Trump said before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague.
He criticized Israel for immediately launching airstrikes after the ceasefire deal and condemned Iran for a strong retaliatory response. "Israel dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I've never seen before... I'm not happy with Israel. I'm not happy with Iran either," Trump added, describing both countries as locked in blind aggression.
Trump confirmed both sides violated the truce announced late Monday. "You have 12 hours; you don't go out in the first hour and just drop everything," he said. The President's frustration was evident as he declared, "They don't know what the f*** they're doing. Do you understand that?"
Earlier, Trump issued a direct warning to Israel via Truth Social, saying, "Israel, do not drop those bombs. If you do, it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now!" His remarks came as reports emerged of Iran firing six missiles toward American bases in Iraq and Qatar on Monday night.
Iran's missile barrage, dubbed "Annunciation of Victory," reportedly caused no significant damage as U.S. Patriot systems intercepted them. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared "mission accomplished," stating that Israel achieved full air dominance and neutralized several Iranian military targets.
Netanyahu's statement also highlighted Israel's destruction of critical Iranian regime facilities and claimed a major blow was dealt to Iran's nuclear capabilities. He thanked Trump and the U.S. for supporting Israel's defense and for playing a role in addressing the nuclear threat.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei responded, claiming the strikes on U.S. bases were lawful self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. He said Iran acted after "criminal aggression" by the U.S. and Israel and affirmed Iran's close ties with Qatar remained unaffected by the attack.
Baghaei emphasized that Iran's strike on the Al-Udeid base in Qatar was a response to U.S. violations of its sovereignty. He asserted that the action had no bearing on Iran-Qatar relations, which he described as "excellent and deeply rooted," signaling Tehran's intention to isolate its actions from regional diplomacy.
