- The Ceasefire between Iran and Israel + the US is holding.
- Fighting with Hezbollah continues, as Lebanon and Israel announce ground-breaking direct talks.
- IDF Sgt. Aviad Elhanan Wolansky, 21, was killed in fighting in the north.
Join us on Wednesday, April 15 (CORRECTED DATE) at 1 pm ET for Israel at War: Ceasefire with Iran, Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli Society after Roaring Lion, a webinar with Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisin. Click here to register.
Ceasefire
- Israel, Iran, and the United States entered a declared two‑week ceasefire following weeks of direct military confrontation, brokered through US-led diplomacy and confirmed publicly by President Donald Trump.
- The agreement is explicitly time‑limited and conditioned on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting attacks on Israeli, US, and regional targets, while the US and Israel suspend strikes inside Iran.
- Both Washington and Jerusalem emphasized that the ceasefire is intended as a pause for negotiations rather than a comprehensive end to hostilities, with talks expected to begin shortly under international mediation. The US negotiating team will be led by Vice President JD Vance.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s support for the ceasefire, stressing that it was coordinated with the United States and subject to strict Iranian compliance. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel had achieved its key military objectives against Iran’s strategic capabilities but made clear that the truce does not apply to other arenas, particularly Lebanon.
- Israeli opposition figures sharply criticized the agreement, arguing that the ceasefire left core strategic goals unmet. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said the deal failed to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and warned it would allow Tehran time to regroup, while other critics across the political spectrum accused the government of ending the campaign without clear, enforceable gains.
- Iran, for its part, declared the ceasefire a diplomatic and strategic success, but in one area of contention, warned that it would withdraw from the agreement if Israel continued military activity in Lebanon. Tehran specifically said that it views continued Israeli operations against Hezbollah as a potential violation of the ceasefire framework, despite President Trump confirming that the agreement does not include Lebanon. Iranian officials also stated that the agreement did not constitute an end to the war and that Iranian forces remained on full alert.
- President Trump described the ceasefire as a major breakthrough, saying it prevented further regional escalation and created an opening for broader negotiations. Trump characterized Iran’s proposals as a “workable basis” for talks and said US military objectives had been met, while warning that renewed Iranian attacks would prompt a severe response.
- The agreement also leaves unresolved the issue of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. The Trump administration has stated that Iran will be required to remove or relinquish its enriched uranium as part of any durable agreement and that the United States does not accept Iran retaining enrichment capabilities.
- Gulf states cautiously welcomed the halt in US‑Iran fighting, viewing the ceasefire as a step toward reducing the immediate risk of regional escalation while remaining skeptical about its durability. Officials in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf countries publicly supported de‑escalation and stressed the importance of protecting maritime security and energy infrastructure, particularly in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
See entire update here.
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