Former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart is firmly back in MAGA camp after threatening to break with Donald Trump for thrusting America back into another armed conflict in the Middle East.

Cozart, an outspoken conservative and long-time Trump supporter, initially questioned the 79-year-old Commander In Chief last week over rising tensions with Iran.

‘If Trump gets us in a war I will no longer support him and I’m sure most of you know I love Trump,’ Cozart wrote on June 16.

That conflict, now in its 12th day, began with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close to doing so. Trump followed by dropping bunker-buster bombs on nuclear sites over the weekend in a move that risked further destabilizing the volatile region.

Despite the escalating violence, Trump’s triumphant claims of an Israel-Iran ceasefire were enough to assuage Cozart’s fears apparently. In response to a White House post reading, ‘Trust in Trump,’ Cozart gladly admitted his mistake in questioning Trump’s judgement.

‘I’ll gladly eat my words for what has transpired today,’ he wrote, adding: ‘lesson learned to trust the man.’

Former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Zack Cozart is firmly back in MAGA camp after threatening to break with Donald Trump for thrusting America into another conflict in the Middle East

Cozart, an outspoken conservative and long-time Trump supporter, initially questioned the 79-year-old Commander In Chief last week over rising tensions with Iran

Cozart hasn’t added any other thoughts on the subject as that fragile ceasefire initially faltered while Trump expressed frustrating with both sides.

An All-American at Ole Miss before becoming a second-round pick in the 2007 MLB Draft, Cozart went on to become an All-Star with the Reds in 2017 before moving on to play two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.

Cozart, 39, is active on X, where he frequently posts about the Reds, SEC baseball and Trump.

Israel had earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that ‘Tehran will tremble.’

The Iranian military denied firing on Israel, state media reported, but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel in the morning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.

Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a NATO summit that, in his view, both sides had violated the nascent agreement. He had particularly strong words for Israel, a close ally, while suggesting Iran may have fired on the country by mistake.

But later he said the deal was saved.

Cozart was firmly back in Trump’s camp after POTUS triumphantly declared a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. That fragile ceasefire was soon violated by both Israel and Iran

‘ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!’ Trump said in his Truth Social post.

Indeed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he held off on tougher strikes against Iran after speaking to Trump.

Netanyahu said Israel agreed to a bilateral ceasefire with Iran, in coordination with Trump, after the country achieved all of its war goals, including removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

It’s unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender.

Trump said Tuesday that he wasn’t seeking regime change in Iran, two days after floating the idea himself in a social media post.

‘I don’t want it,’ Trump told reporters on Air Force One. ‘Regime change takes chaos and, ideally, we don’t want to see much chaos.’

Speaking to reporters, he also said, “These two countries have been fighting so long and so hard they don’t even know what the f*** they’re doing.”

In unusually strong language, particularly when it comes to Israel, Trump said, “As soon as we made the deal, they dropped a load of bombs—the biggest we’ve ever seen. I’m not happy with Israel.”

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump Tuesday lost his cool with both Iran and Israel, after reports of both countries violating the ceasefire hours after he announced it.

Shortly after, in a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Israeli warplanes were turning back from Iranian airspace and would perform a “friendly plane wave” as a gesture of de-escalation. This followed, according to media reports, an “exceptionally firm and direct call” between Trump and Netanyahu.

Iran and Israel exchanged strikes for the 12th day Tuesday, even as Trump announced the ceasefire on Truth Social. The development came hours after Iran fired dozens of missiles at an American air base in Qatar in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities Sunday.

Trump also backtracked from his remarks on regime change Tuesday, telling reporters he didn’t “want” it

“No. If there was, there was, but no, I don’t want it. I’d like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible,” he said, “Regime change takes chaos, and ideally we don’t want to see so much chaos.”

He had earlier floated the possibility, saying in a post on Truth Social Monday, “If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???”

On Tuesday, he further told reporters, “You know, the Iranians are very good traders, very good businesspeople, and they got a lot of oil. They should be fine. They should be able to rebuild and do a good job.”

“They’re never going to have nuclear, but other than that they should do a great job.”

He also earlier posted a message along similar lines on Truth Social, where he said, “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”

He took credit for the ceasefire being followed.

“Heading to NATO where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran. I look forward to seeing all of my very good European friends, and others. Hopefully, much will be accomplished!” he said on Truth Social, following it up with “China can now continue to purchase Oil from Iran. Hopefully, they will be purchasing plenty from the U.S., also. It was my Great Honor to make this happen!”

Iran claims nuclear scientist killed

The ceasefire brokered to halt 12 days of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, was accepted by both sides. However, soon after, Israel claimed Iran fired missiles into its airspace after the ceasefire went into effect. Iranian state media, meanwhile, denied any such attacks.

According to Iran’s central military command via state TV, Israeli attacks occurred in three waves up to 5:30 am UK time—just before the truce was supposed to take effect.

Iranian state TV claimed that a senior Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, was killed in an Israeli airstrike Tuesday.

“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” Trump said on Truth Social.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel targeted an Iranian radar installation in response to a missile attack early Tuesday but said further military action was paused after a direct appeal from Trump.

“After President Trump spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel chose not to carry out additional strikes,” a statement said.

Israel later confirmed it had conducted a limited strike against a radar installation near Tehran in response to what it called “Iranian violations”. According to Netanyahu’s office, Iran launched one missile at 07:06 local time and two more at 10:25—both after the ceasefire’s official start.

The Israeli statement also noted Trump’s “immense appreciation” for Israel’s military campaign and his “confidence in the stability of the ceasefire”.

(Edited by Sanya Mathur)

Also Read: Israel-Iran conflict continues hours after ceasefire, Tel Aviv vows retaliation to violations by Tehran

Donald Trump has walked back his previous push for regime change in Iran, admitting it would cause “chaos” to an already fragile conflict.

As tensions continue to simmer over the risk of retaliation against the US, the president also suggested that his predecessor, Joe Biden, was to blame for Iranian sleeper cells entering America.

Smoke rises from strike site north of Tehran that was hit by Israel on Monday. ELYAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

“There was gross incompetence, and among everything else, he let a lot of super (sleeper) cells in, many from Iran. But hopefully we’ll take care of them,” Trump claimed on Tuesday.

The comments came as Trump travelled to the Netherlands for a NATO summit, hours after brokering what he insisted would be a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

But despite musing over the weekend about a potential regime change in Iran, contradicting assurances from his top Cabinet members that toppling the Islamic Republic was not the administration’s goal, Trump on Tuesday told reporters: “I don’t want it. I’d like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible.”

“Regime change takes chaos, and ideally, we don’t want to see so much chaos. So we’ll see how it goes,” he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was not happy with his Israel counterpart Kevin Mohatt/REUTERS

He also told reporters that he had spoken by phone to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that he bring back military aircraft and not continue to bomb Iran.

After speaking to Netanyahu, he then posted a message on his social media network insisting that Israel would comply with his request.

“All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he said.

Trump’s NATO trip comes after a stunning few days in the Middle East conflict, which began on Saturday when America launched B-2s to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, and culminated on Monday evening when Trump declared a ceasefire had been reached between Israel and Iran.

But things quickly took a turn when it appeared that both sides had violated the agreement, prompting an expletive-laden tirade from Trump as he left the White House en route to the Netherlands.

“They don’t know what the f—- they’re doing,” he said.

It is also still not clear how much highly enriched uranium Iran was able to move to a secret location before the U.S. was able to bomb its three known nuclear facilities.

This has prompted fears that the regime could still have the capacity to build a nuclear bomb in the future, even though the weekend strikes severely damaged its enrichment program.

Trump’s ceasefire agreement was violated just two hours later (Photo by Getty Images) Getty Images/Getty Images

“Tehran had ample time prior to the strikes to remove its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium to a covert location, and it’s likely that they did so,” said Kelsey Davenport, the director of non-proliferation policy at the Arms Control Association.

“The containers that this material is stored in are small canisters, something on the size of a scuba tank, for reference, so they’re quite easy to conceal and difficult to track. So it’s not surprising that the United States has even admitted that it does not know where all of the material is.”

Trump, however, insisted that having a nuclear weapon was “the last thing” on Iran’s mind now.

“They’re going to get on to being a great trading nation,” said. “They have a lot of oil and they’re going to do well, but they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”

Meanwhile, in the U.S., the conflict has once again sparked concern about sleeper cells–groups of terrorists who are already in the country but operating under the radar, waiting to be activated.

While authorities say there is no credible evidence of a sleeper cell, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection warned in a memo to be vigilant as the threat of a sleeper cell or sympathizer acting at the behest of Iran had “never been higher.”

Asked about the issue aboard Air Force One, Trump blamed his predecessor.

The Brief June 24, 2025 Updates on Iran, Trump, immigration, and more Play icon 00:00 Skip backward 15 seconds Length: Long Speed: 1.0 x Skip forward 15 seconds TIME AI Logo Powered by Scale logo

President Donald Trump has said it was his “great honor to destroy all [Iranian] nuclear facilities and capability” and “stop the war” between Israel and Iran. He also said that both countries “wanted to stop the war equally.” His statement, shared via social media, came hours after he publicly intervened as the shaky cease-fire threatened to break down entirely when Israel accused Iran of violating the preliminary terms of the deal and vowed retaliation. Iran denied firing further missiles.

Trump issued a stern, public warning to Israel early Tuesday morning, instructing the country not to bomb Iran as the cease-fire he announced just hours before hung in the balance.

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“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump, who has since travelled to The Hague in the Netherlands to attend a NATO Summit, further aired his frustrations when talking to reporters outside the White House. He claimed both countries had violated the cease-fire, and said he didn’t like the fact that “Israel unloaded right after we made the deal.” Taking aim at Israel and Iran, Trump said: “We have two countries that have been fighting for so long and so hard, that they don’t know what the f-ck they’re doing.” In a follow-up post online, Trump announced a reprieve in the tensions, saying: “Israel is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘plane wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the cease-fire is in effect.” Doubling down on his previous statements, whereby he said that U.S. strikes had “obliterated” three key Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, Trump added: “Iran will never rebuild their nuclear facilities!”

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Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a call early Tuesday. Upon confirming a conversation had taken place, Netanyahu’s office said that Israeli forces had destroyed a radar installation near Tehran in response to Iranian missile launches. They announced an intention to stand down from further military action. “Pursuant to the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has refrained from additional attacks,” the office confirmed. Read More: What Is the Strait of Hormuz and What Impact Could It Have on International Trade If Iran Closes It? Prior to this, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz maintained that a violation had taken place, and said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “respond forcefully.” “I have instructed the IDF, in coordination with the Prime Minister, to respond forcefully to the violation of the cease-fire by Iran through intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran,” he said. “The Iranian regime has severely violated the cease-fire declared by the President of the United States and launched missiles toward Israel, and in accordance with the government’s policy as determined—we will respond forcefully to any violation.”

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Amid the back-and-forth discourse, Iranian state media claimed that the cease-fire had been “imposed” due to Iran’s “steadfast defense and crushing retaliatory strikes against the Israeli regime” that “forced the enemy to feel remorse, confess defeat and, approve the unilateral cessation of the onslaught against Iran.” As tensions simmered down, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he does not want to push through a regime change in Iran, after all, seemingly backtracking after he shared his keenness to “Make Iran Great Again” in a social media post on Sunday. “I’d like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible… Regime change takes chaos, and ideally we don’t want to see so much chaos,” Trump said. The cease-fire was announced late Monday, after Iran had launched missiles at U.S. military targets at the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. The strikes were intercepted by the U.S., and no casualties were reported. The military action was retaliatory, a direct response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities over the weekend, which marked a significant turn in the conflict with the U.S. becoming an active participant in the Israel-Iran combat.

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The conflict—which started when Israel targeted nuclear and military sites on June 13, amid growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities—has resulted in significant losses on both sides. Israel has reported 24 deaths and over 1,361 injuries. The Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported 974 deaths and 3,458 injuries in Iran. Trump had been vocal in his encouragement of a cease-fire to end the “death and destruction.” Read More: Even Iranians Beaten and Imprisoned by an Unforgiving Regime Condemn Foreign Interference. Here’s Why Meanwhile, after the threat of cease-fire violations abated, Trump returned to social media on Tuesday to share a message sent to him by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who praised the U.S. for its intervention in the Middle East. “Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safe,” Rutte said.“You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but we’ve got them all signed onto 5%!”

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The 5% GDP defense spending target is expected to be announced by all NATO members at the summit. The United Kingdom has already confirmed its commitment to reach the spending target by 2035.

Trump Declares Israel-Iran Ceasefire Is In Effect After Early Breach/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump confirmed Tuesday that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran is in effect after both sides appeared to violate the truce. Trump publicly criticized both nations and later said Israeli planes had turned back. A top Iranian nuclear scientist was killed amid the initial breakdown.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump Declares Israel-Iran Ceasefire Is Back On: Quick Looks

Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire has resumed after initial violations

Israeli official confirms Iran fired two missiles; Tehran denies launching any

Israeli PM Netanyahu halted further strikes after Trump intervened

Iran’s top nuclear scientist killed during Israeli strike before truce held

Trump criticized both sides, stating, “they don’t know what the f— they’re doing”

Iranian missile strikes damaged buildings in Beersheba, killing at least four

Iran’s limited retaliation on U.S. base in Qatar caused no casualties

Drone attacks targeted U.S. bases in Iraq; no injuries reported

Total deaths: at least 28 in Israel, 974 in Iran from Israeli strikes

Trump Declares Israel-Iran Ceasefire Is In Effect After Early Breach

Deep Look

Dubai, United Arab Emirates — June 24, 2025

After a tense breakdown, the ceasefire between Israel and Iran is officially back in effect, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday. His announcement came after a day of missile strikes, diplomatic scrambling, and rising frustration as the two rivals tested the limits of a fragile agreement.

Ceasefire Tested Early

Just hours after the ceasefire began, Israel accused Iran of launching two ballistic missiles toward its territory. Israeli officials claimed both were intercepted. In contrast, Iranian state media denied any such launch and accused Israel of conducting predawn strikes in violation of the truce.

Among the reported Israeli attacks, one struck the northern Iranian residence of high-ranking nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, killing him. The Iranian government condemned the act as an assassination.

Trump Steps In

Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for the NATO summit, President Trump didn’t hold back. “Iran violated it, but Israel violated it too,” he said, expressing particular disappointment with the Israeli response.

In uncharacteristically raw language, Trump added: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.”

Later in the day, Trump declared that Israeli forces were standing down. In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!”

Following a direct conversation with Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel would pause further military actions. His office noted that Israel had already hit a radar installation in response to the missile incident but refrained from wider escalation.

Background of the Conflict

The 12-day conflict began with Israeli strikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, citing fears that Tehran was nearing the capability to build nuclear weapons. Iran has long claimed its nuclear program is peaceful.

After a weekend of heavy U.S. bombing on Iranian nuclear sites, Iran retaliated with a limited strike on a U.S. base in Qatar. The attack caused no casualties and was reportedly pre-warned. Trump used the moment to announce the ceasefire, though tensions flared soon after.

Fallout in Israel and Iraq

In Israel, Tuesday’s reported Iranian missile strike caused severe damage in Beersheba. At least four civilians were confirmed dead as residential buildings were hit, and over 20 were wounded. Some injuries occurred even inside reinforced safe rooms, which aren’t designed to withstand direct ballistic missile impacts.

In Iraq, drones targeted U.S. military installations overnight. American forces intercepted drones near Ain al-Assad and Baghdad’s airport. One drone crashed without causing damage. No group has claimed responsibility, but Iran-backed militias have previously threatened retaliation.

Death Toll and Human Impact

In the broader conflict, Human Rights Activists, a U.S.-based group, estimated Israeli strikes have killed 974 Iranians, including 387 civilians and 268 security personnel. Over 3,400 were reportedly wounded.

Israel reports 28 dead and more than 1,000 wounded. The U.S. State Department says approximately 250 American citizens and family members have been evacuated from Israel since the fighting began, though around 700,000 U.S.-Israeli dual citizens remain in the country.

Trump Walks Back Regime Change Talk

Trump appeared to backtrack from prior statements hinting at regime change in Iran. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he clarified:

“I don’t want it. Regime change takes chaos, and ideally, we don’t want to see much chaos.”

Still, the situation remains fragile. While Trump hailed Netanyahu’s willingness to pause strikes and declared the ceasefire intact, there’s little trust between the two sides. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, vowed on social media that the Islamic Republic would never surrender.

For now, direct confrontation has paused. But the balance remains razor-thin—sustained only by the volatile intersection of diplomacy, deterrence, and domestic politics in Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran.

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