President Trump delivered a blunt rebuke of both Israel and Iran on Tuesday, voicing frustration over the ongoing hostilities between the two nations just a day after announcing the terms of a ceasefire. Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for the NATO Summit in The Hague, Trump didn’t hold back, saying, “We basically we have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.”
Around the same time, he posted a strongly worded message on Truth Social directed specifically at Israel, in a rare and striking admonishment of a close U.S. ally. “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” the president warned.
Asked about reports of renewed strikes by both sides overnight despite a ceasefire agreement that was supposed to begin taking effect Trump acknowledged that both parties had already violated the terms. He said, “They [Iran] violated it, but Israel violated it too. Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before. The biggest load that we’ve seen.”
Visibly frustrated, Trump criticized Israel for acting prematurely after the ceasefire announcement. “I’m not happy with Israel. When I say, ‘OK, now you have 12 hours,’ you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them,” he said. “So, I’m not happy with them, I’m not happy with Iran either.”
He made clear that continued attacks especially from Israel undermined the credibility of the ceasefire and the United States’ mediation efforts. “But I’m really unhappy if Israel’s going out this morning,” he added.
Trump’s public condemnation of Israeli military actions marks a notable shift from his typically unwavering support of the nation, both during his first term and throughout his long-standing political messaging. The move underscores growing tensions not only between Israel and Iran but also within America’s foreign policy approach as the administration tries to broker stability in the region.