JERUSALEM: Israel said on Wednesday (Apr 8) it supported US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend his bombing of Iran, but maintained the 11th-hour ceasefire did not include Lebanon.
Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, barely an hour before Trump’s deadline to obliterate Iran was set to expire.
Tehran said it would guarantee safe passage for maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks, announcing that the pause would be used for talks with the United States on ending the war. Negotiations were set to start Friday in Pakistan.
“Israel supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
Israel added that it “supports the US effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat”.