Israel-Iran: Trump calls for cessation of hostilities, reaches out for peace talks

The Republican assured that—as yet—he has not reached out to Iran for "Peace Talks." However, he stressed that they can talk with him. "This is just more HIGHLY FABRICATED, FAKE NEWS! If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table—Would have saved a lot of lives!!!," Trump maintained in a message posted on Truth Social.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he wants "a real end" to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, and not just a cease-fire.

G7 leaders issued a joint statement on Monday calling for a "de-escalation" of tensions in the Middle East, while emphasizing that Israel has the right to defend itself amid the growing military crisis with Iran.

"We affirm that Israel has the right to defend itself," the statement reads. "We have made it clear at all times that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon."

"We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza," added the leaders of the group made up of seven of the world's most advanced economies.

As reported from Axios, the Trump Administration is formally discussing with Iran the possibility of arranging a meeting in the coming days. The meeting would involve Steve Witkoff as U.S. envoy and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"The objective would be to discuss a diplomatic initiative involving a nuclear deal and an end to the war between Israel and Iran," said the aforementioned media.

As a State Department spokesman told CNN, Marco Rubio is also on his way to the nation's capital.

The IDF reported that Israel's citizens can now leave the shelters. According to the country's national emergency service, Magen David Adom, no missile hits were recorded, either in the center or in the south-central region.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke to Fox News about the situation in the Middle East. He ratified that the United States has no intention of entering the conflict but rather of guaranteeing "peace" in the region. At the same time, he defended President Donald Trump's international policy.

"What you're watching in real-time is Peace Through Strength and America First ... We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal, and we certainly hope that's what happens here," he told Jesse Waters.

In turn, Hegseth on Monday dispatched the deployment of "additional capabilities" to "enhance our defensive posture" in the region.

Sirens sounded again in the early Israeli morning. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported that Iran launched another round of missiles, so they ordered civilians to return to bomb shelters.

"Israel's defense systems are currently working to intercept the threat," the IDF said.

Amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, the president abruptly cut short his participation in the G7 summit to head to Washington, DC.

"President Trump had a great day at the G7, even signing a major trade deal with the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Much was accomplished, but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight after dinner with Heads of State," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed via her X account.

"Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, 'IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.' I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!" The president wrote on his Truth Social account.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives was scheduled to speak on June 22 before members of the Knesset. However, he was forced to change his plans.

“Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,” Johnson wrote, referring to his counterpart, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

“We hope to reschedule the speech in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East,” he added.

Three employees of the Israeli oil company Bazan Group were killed early Monday morning in an Iranian attack. This was reported by the Haifa-based company in a document filed with the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.