The cease-fire announcement, made by Trump just before the NATO summit, had briefly offered a glimmer of relief.

Trump’s Announcement and the Push for Calm

Trump’s timing appeared calculated to showcase U.S. diplomacy on the global stage. On the eve of the NATO gathering, he declared that both Israel and Iran had agreed to halt hostilities effective Tuesday morning. The announcement reportedly caught even some of his senior officials off guard, underscoring the urgency — and secrecy — surrounding the negotiations.

The cease-fire was supposed to bring an end to days of bombardments that had killed dozens of civilians, disrupted normal life, and sent millions in Israel scrambling repeatedly to bomb shelters. In the hours before the truce took hold, both sides continued trading fire, determined to land final blows before pressing pause.

By 7:30 a.m. local time in Israel, the military sounded an all-clear, allowing citizens to cautiously step