US-Israel-Iran war: Hours after Middle East escalation, Trump says Tel Aviv and Tehran agree to ceasefire | Top updates

US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) announced that both Israel and Iran have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, shortly after he directed both sides to "stop shooting" immediately.

Trump's remarks came hours after the Middle East once again found itself bracing for war. On 7 June, Iran launched missiles targeting Israel in what is being considered the first such bombardment in two months since a ceasefire. In retaliation, Tel Aviv launched airstrikes early Monday targeting central and western Iran.

Here are the top updates as Israel and Iran test a shaky ceasefire in the Middle East:

1. In a Truth Social post, the US President wrote, "Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on 'Peace' are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way. The Blockade will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a 'Final Deal' is reached. Things should move quickly." Shortly before announcing that the two sides were agreeing to a ceasefire, in another social media post, Trump wrote, "Israel and Iran must immediately stop 'shooting.'"

2. Shortly after Trump's announcement, Iran's military said that its first wave of attacks on Tel Aviv since the 8 April ceasefire was now over; however, it threatened to resume the strikes if Israel continued attacks on Lebanon. There was no immediate response from Israel, which had launched attacks on Iran after Tehran fired missiles towards Israel late on 7 June. Iran had said its strikes were in retaliation for Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Beirut.

3. Tel Aviv targeted a petrochemical plant in Iran's southwestern region and said it was used to produce ballistic missiles. Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it retaliated with a strike aimed at a similar Israeli plant in Haifa. According to a Reuters report, the IRGC added that it had "delivered a painful response" to Israel for its attacks on Lebanon, including Sunday's strikes on the outskirts of Beirut.

4. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (local time) held a second phone call in less than 24 hours, CNN reported, citing an Israeli source. The call reportedly took place before Tehran announced a suspension of its military operation against Tel Aviv. However, it remains unclear what the two leaders discussed, with Netanyahu yet to comment on the military escalation with the Islamic Republic. In a previous call, which took place on 7 June, the US President reportedly asked Netanyahu to hold off on launching a retaliatory attack against Tehran.

5. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday (local time) stated that the Islamic Republic has not abandoned the negotiating table. In a post on X, Pezeshkian wrote, “Our priority is national security and the peace of our people. We will defend the rights of the nation with authority and will not retreat in the face of any threat. Diplomacy and defence are the two wings of national power; we have neither abandoned the field nor the negotiating table. God willing, with unity and rationality, Iran will emerge triumphant from this trial as well.”

6. Amid the escalation in hostilities in the Middle East, an Israeli official told CNN that Netanyahu is expected to convene a security cabinet on Monday to discuss tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv. The meeting follows a series of security consultations Netanyahu held today, the official said, including a smaller meeting with top defence officials and select ministers.

7. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was exchanging messages with Washington in an atmosphere of "extreme suspicion". Israel's actions in Lebanon, whether carried out with US knowledge and consent or not, were aimed at sabotaging diplomacy, he noted, adding, "The United States bears direct responsibility for any action the Zionist regime (Israel) takes in relation to violating regional peace and security against Iran."

8. As Israel and Iran traded missiles, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, in a statement, pledged to stop Tel Aviv's maritime navigation in the Red Sea and added that the group had also fired missiles at Israel. So far, the Houthis have largely stayed out of the regional war. They control territory at the mouth of the Red Sea, which is increasingly important as an alternative route for millions of barrels per day of Middle East oil otherwise blocked by Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

9. Earlier today, both Iranian and Israeli officials hinted that the two sides are preparing for a long-term war. Tehran's Tasnim news agency said, citing a "military source" it did not identify, that the Islamic Republic has prepared for a long-term war with Tel Aviv and US interests in the region. An Israeli official told CNN that Tel Aviv is gearing up for at least several days of fighting, adding that there is a possibility of a prolonged campaign.

10. As hostilities flared up, the Indian government issued a travel advisory on Monday, warning its nationals in Iran and Israel to avoid travel to either country and exit the region by available means of transport. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) advised Indian nationals in both countries to exercise the utmost caution and stay vigilant.