Trump rejects ceasefire, demands Iran 'give up' in Israel conflict

New Straits Times

4 hours ago

TEHRAN: US President Donald Trump said he wants a "real end" to the conflict between Israel and Iran, not just a ceasefire, as the arch foes traded fire for a fifth day on Tuesday.
Israeli warplanes targeted dozens of missile launchers in western Iran and killed a senior commander, the military said, drawing retaliatory fire from the Islamic republic.
Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem shortly after sirens sounded in many parts of Israel warning of incoming missiles, with the military warning of another barrage in the afternoon.
Israeli police reported that debris fell in the central Tel Aviv area and the fire brigade said it was tackling a blaze.
The Israeli military said it killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in an overnight strike on a "command centre in the heart of Tehran", just four days after his predecessor, Gholam Ali Rashid, was killed in Israel's surprise attack.
Israel also said it targeted multiple missile and drone sites in western Iran overnight and again later on Tuesday, with black-and-white footage showing some of them exploding.
Despite mounting calls to de-escalate, neither side has backed off from the missile blitz that began Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented aerial campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
A new wave of Israeli strikes on Tehran – including a dramatic hit on state television headquarters that the broadcaster said killed three people – prompted both sides to activate missile defence systems overnight.
Iranian media reported several explosions in the central city of Isfahan, home to a key nuclear facility.
Residential areas in both countries have suffered, while foreign government scrambled to evacuate their citizens.
A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran's main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported.
Trump said on Tuesday that he wanted a "complete give-up" by Iran in return for peace, without elaborating on the outcome he seeks.
"I'm not looking for a ceasefire, we're looking at better than a ceasefire," he told reporters after cutting short his attendance at a Group of Seven summit in Canada.
Trump, who has said Washington was not involved in Israel's initial strikes, again warned Iran against targeting US troops and assets in the Middle East, saying "we'll come down so hard, it'd be gloves off."
The US president had earlier issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform, saying: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"
Fearing the violence, many residents have fled Tehran since Friday.
On Tuesday, long queues stretched outside bakeries and petrol stations as the remaining residents rushed to stock up on fuel and basic supplies.
Security checkpoints have been set up across Tehran, adding to the atmosphere of tension as authorities monitor movement in and out of key districts.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States was deploying "additional capabilities" to the Middle East, with a US aircraft carrier reportedly heading to the region.
China accused Trump of "pouring oil" on the conflict.
"Making threats and mounting pressure will not help to promote the de-escalation of the situation, but will only intensify and widen the conflict," said foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.
At the G7 summit, leaders including Trump called Monday for "de-escalation" while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself and that "Iran can never have a nuclear weapon."
After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel said its surprise air campaign aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran denies.
The UN nuclear watchdog said there appear to have been "direct impacts on the underground enrichment halls" at Iran's Natanz facility.
Israel has maintained ambiguity regarding its own atomic activities, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says it has 90 nuclear warheads.
The escalation has derailed nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington and stoked fears of broader conflict.
At least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then.
Netanyahu said Israel was "changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself."
After several rounds of talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks, Iran said after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate with the United States while under attack.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that "absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue."