Israeli army says it is observing ceasefire with Iran

The Israeli army said Wednesday it is observing a ceasefire with Iran while remaining on high alert.

"In accordance with political leadership directives, the IDF (army) is observing the ceasefire in the campaign against Iran and remains on high alert in defense and ready to respond to any violation," a military spokesperson said in a statement.

The army, however, said its military operations in Lebanon are still ongoing despite the pause in fighting with Iran.

"The IDF (army) continues combat and ground operations against Hezbollah," the statement added.

US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran overnight Tuesday.

According to The Times of Israel news portal, the Israeli Air Force has not conducted any strikes in Iran since around 3 a.m.

The ceasefire announcement came less than two hours before a deadline Trump had set for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept an agreement or face what he described as the destruction of "an entire civilization."

Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. It has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.