Gambiaj.com – (TELAVIV, Israel) – Israel has agreed to suspend its bombing campaign against Iran as part of a two-week cease-fire announced by President Donald Trump, according to a senior White House official.
The temporary truce, disclosed roughly an hour and a half before Trump’s deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face expanded military strikes, is intended to allow diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran to proceed.
A U.S. official told CNN that Israel has agreed to pause its military operations during the ceasefire period while talks continue. However, Israeli officials are said to have significant reservations about the agreement reached between the United States and Iran.
According to an Israeli source familiar with the matter, Israel will follow Trump’s lead and abide by the ceasefire but does so reluctantly.
The source said Israeli military planners believe they still have additional targets inside Iran and further objectives they would like to pursue through continued military action.
The source added that Israel had hoped the campaign could continue longer before any pause in hostilities.
Israeli Leaders Signal Desire for Continued Campaign
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously declined to say whether Israel would halt attacks if Trump brokered a ceasefire with Iran but acknowledged Washington’s leadership in the alliance.
“Ultimately, President Trump makes his own decisions, and do I respect them? Yes, I do,” Netanyahu said during a March 18 news conference when asked about the possibility of a truce.
Behind the scenes, some Israeli strategists reportedly believe the current military campaign could still achieve broader political goals if allowed to continue longer.
Two former senior Israeli officials with ties to the military told CNN that Israeli planners consider the cease-fire premature and had hoped operations might continue for at least another month. They argued that additional military pressure could weaken the Iranian regime enough to set the stage for its eventual collapse.
One of the former officials suggested that “one or two more months” of sustained operations could accelerate that outcome, claiming Iran’s leadership is already “on the verge of collapse.”
Israeli Military Says Campaign at “Strategic Junction”
Public statements from Israeli leaders in recent days have emphasized that the military campaign has significantly altered the regional balance of power.
In a video message released Tuesday, Netanyahu said the conflict had fundamentally changed the strategic landscape.
“This is no longer the same Iran, nor is it the same Israel. We are changing the balance of power fundamentally,” he said.
Israel’s military chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, also suggested the operation was reaching a decisive stage rather than winding down.
“We are approaching a strategic junction in the joint operation against Iran,” Zamir told military commanders during a meeting Tuesday. “Thus far, we have achieved significant accomplishments. We will continue to act with determination and deepen the degradation of the regime.”
Another former Israeli official said that while the regime may already be severely weakened, any permanent political change inside Iran could still take time.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the ceasefire arrangements, while the Israel Defense Forces did not respond to requests for comment.
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