'I am thankful to the Almighty': Farooq Abdullah welcomes Israel-Iran ceasefire

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah. File Pic.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

"I am thankful to the Almighty if there is indeed a ceasefire; it is good. Innocent people were being killed... Nobody has surrendered before anyone, neither Iran nor America. But out of humanity, they said that this should be stopped," he stated, reported ANI.

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Abdullah highlighted the impact of the ongoing conflict on the global economy, remarking, "This would have impacted their economy and the economy of the rest of the world... This was a global pressure on America to end this."

However, in a recent development, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has accused Iran of violating the ceasefire. He has reportedly ordered the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to "respond forcefully to Iran's violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran," according to The Times of Israel.

Meanwhile Katz's statement follows Iran's launch of two ballistic missiles at Israel after a ceasefire was supposed to have taken effect. Both missiles were intercepted. IDF Chief of Staff Lt General Eyal Zamir, during an ongoing assessment, declared, "In light of the grave violation of the ceasefire by the Iranian regime, we will strike with force," as reported by The Times of Israel.

Earlier, the IDF Home Front Command advised people in northern Israel that they could exit bomb shelters after the latest missile fire from Iran. Previously, sirens had sounded in Northern Israel due to a new ballistic missile attack from Iran, and residents in affected areas were instructed to remain in bomb shelters until further notice, The Times of Israel reported.

This development follows Israel's earlier announcement that it had agreed to US President Donald Trump's proposal for a bilateral ceasefire with Iran and vowed to "respond forcefully" if the truce was violated. Israel expressed gratitude to Trump and the US for "their defensive support and for their participation in removing the Iranian nuclear threat."

In a statement, Israel's Prime Minister's Office said, "In light of having achieved the objectives of the operation, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel agrees to the President's proposal for a bilateral ceasefire. Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire."

Earlier, Trump had announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire," which he claimed would end the conflict just hours after Tehran had targeted American airbases in the Middle East. In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump indicated that Israel and Iran would likely exchange final blows over the next six hours before the deal came into effect on Tuesday. "Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th Hour, an official end to the 12-Day War," he stated.

The conflict between Israel and Iran began on June 13 when Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, codenamed "Operation Rising Lion."

In retaliation, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) initiated a large-scale drone and missile campaign called 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres. Tensions escalated further after the US conducted precision airstrikes early Sunday morning on three key Iranian nuclear facilities under "Operation Midnight Hammer."

Iran retaliated by launching multiple missiles at US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the region.

(With inputs from ANI)