The Israeli government announced on Tuesday morning that Jerusalem has agreed to a ceasefire with Iran after achieving all its objectives in “Operation Rising Lion.”
According to the statement, the Israel Defense Forces has eliminated immediate threats posed by Tehran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile arsenal.
“Israel has removed from itself a double existential threat,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Cabinet on Monday night, adding that the IDF had “achieved full air superiority over Tehran, dealt a severe blow to the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of key Iranian government targets.”
The statement stressed that the objectives of the operation, which began on June 13, went “even far beyond” the original goal, calling the achievements “historic” and asserting that they place the Jewish state “alongside the world’s powers.”
It also noted that in the past 24 hours, “the IDF struck hard at government targets in the heart of Tehran, eliminated hundreds of Basij operatives—the regime of terror’s repression mechanism—and eliminated another senior nuclear scientist.”
The government statement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire, which went into effect at 7 a.m. Israel time. The Iranian regime had fired missile barrages leading up to the ceasefire, killing four people in a direct hit on an apartment building in Beersheva.
“Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and for their participation in removing the Iranian nuclear threat,” the statement continued.
“In light of the achievement of the operation’s objectives, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the President’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire,” the government said, adding that “Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.”
The government urged citizens to continue following Home Front Command instructions until the ceasefire is fully verified.
“This is a tremendous success for the people of Israel and its fighters, who have removed the two existential threats to our country and ensured the eternity of Israel,” the statement concluded, adding that Netanyahu would make a statement later in the day.
IDF spokesperson: Ceasefire in place, but threats persist
In a morning press briefing, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed that the ceasefire had gone into effect and asserted that the military had met all of its objectives set forth in the Iranian operation.
He conveyed a message from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to maintain maximum alert levels and readiness “to deliver a powerful response to any violation of the ceasefire,” adding that “this includes an emphasis on maintaining high operational pressure and readiness across all fronts and along all borders.”
Defrin recapped overnight activity, saying that the Israeli Air Force had dropped more than one hundred munitions on dozens of military targets in Tehran, including the SPND headquarters building, “which is used for the development of technologies and weapons systems for the Iranian regime.” Additionally, “we inflicted repeated and severe damage on the [military] manufacturing infrastructure in Tehran,” he said.
The IDF struck eight launchers in western Iran that were preparing to fire missiles at Israel on Tuesday morning, according to Defrin. However, he noted that around 20 missiles were fired at Israel before the ceasefire went into effect, most of which were intercepted.
“Unfortunately, there are fatalities and wounded at the impact site in Beersheva. Several individuals were rescued alive. IDF Home Front Command, rescue forces, and security forces continue to search the area,” he said.
“The Chief of the General Staff and the entire IDF share in the grief of the families. I send my condolences to the families of the fallen and wish a full recovery to the wounded,” Defrin continued.
He stressed that at this stage there were no changes to the Home Front Command’s defensive directives.
“The instructions must still be followed; there is still danger,” Defrin said. “The entire IDF, across its commands and branches, will continue to maintain a high level of preparedness and alertness.”
