DUBAI — Israel and Iran stepped back from the brink of a full-scale regional war on Monday after President Trump called for an immediate halt to hostilities, bringing the two sides to their most significant de-escalation since the US-Iran confrontation began 102 days ago.
Israel’s Security Cabinet voted to pause military operations against Iran pending further negotiations, two Israeli officials confirmed. Iran’s IRGC announced it was “suspending offensive operations” while the nuclear talks in Geneva proceed. Trump posted on Truth Social: “Both sides want to do an immediate ceasefire. We are in final peace negotiations.”
The reversal came after Israel struck Hezbollah’s central command headquarters in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district on Sunday and Iran responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israeli territory — the first direct cross-border exchange since the April ceasefire. Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles. No Israeli casualties were confirmed.
“We reserve the right to act alone if any agreement falls short of the permanent dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Geneva this week to finalize the framework nuclear agreement, which would freeze Iranian enrichment at 3.67% in exchange for partial sanctions relief. Russia’s President Putin endorsed the ceasefire plan after speaking with both Trump and Iran’s acting President Mohammad Mokhber.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday night and told ministers Israel reserved the right to “act alone” if the deal falls short of permanent nuclear dismantlement. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said the pause was “temporary and conditional.”
In Lebanon, President Michel Aoun refused to meet Netanyahu until the war ends, as Israel continued strikes across the country — nearly 3,500 since the April ceasefire, an average of 58 per day, according to Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The prisoner swap agreed under the framework would release three Americans detained in Iran and an unspecified number of Iranians held in US prisons. The US also agreed to redirect $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets to pay Gulf allies for war damage rather than returning them to Tehran.
Written by Layla Hassan, MENA Correspondent
Layla Hassan
Layla Hassan covers Middle East politics, conflict, and diplomacy from the Gulf to the Levant.