Amid a sharp escalation in Middle East tensions since the ceasefire, United States President Donald Trump issued a blunt appeal on his Truth Social platform,
urging both Israel and Iran to immediately halt hostilities. "Israel and Iran must immediately stop shooting," Trump posted on his platform. Israel and Iran traded fire on Monday and the retaliatory strikes that threatened to drag the wider Middle East back into a full-scale regional war. It was the first exchange of fire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed an attack on Israel and said Israel-affiliated vessels would again be a target in the Red Sea. Tehran had warned of retaliation after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs without warning earlier Sunday.
