Washington: US President Donald Trump has declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be compelled to accept any nuclear agreement that Washington secures with Tehran. Trump emphasized his exclusive authority over American foreign policy decisions, stating, “I call the shots. I call all the shots. He doesn’t call the shots.”

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump’s comments were made during a telephone interview with the Financial Times. This statement came in the wake of Iran launching ballistic missiles at Israeli targets, marking a significant violation of a ceasefire agreed upon in early April. Trump also mentioned in an earlier interview with Fox News that he would direct Netanyahu not to retaliate against Iran, following a phone conversation between the two leaders, as reported by Axios and Israeli media.

In response, Israel launched airstrikes on military sites in western and central Iran. Both Israeli and Iranian media reported explosions in several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan. Iranian state television and Tasnim News Agency confirmed the blasts, with the latter reporting incidents near Karaj.

Iran justified its attacks on northern Israel as acts of ‘self-defense,’ citing repeated Israeli ceasefire violations and attacks targeting Lebanon and Iranian interests. The Iranian Foreign Ministry referenced Article 51 of the UN Charter to validate their actions, accusing Israel of escalating regional tensions with the cooperation of the ‘terrorist US army’ in targeting Iranian assets.

In light of these developments, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that Israel used air-launched ballistic missiles in its strikes. The situation has led to increased regional tensions, with Iran closing part of its airspace and Iraq and Syria imposing temporary airspace restrictions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi engaged in discussions with Pakistan’s Army Chief to address the regional situation, as reported by Iran’s Islamic Students News Agency (ISNA).