Israeli officials wary Trump could announce ceasefire with Iran by Saturday — report

Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is updated on Iranian missile strikes late on March 21, 2026. (Avi Ohayon / GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is updated on Iranian missile strikes late on March 21, 2026. (Avi Ohayon / GPO)

Jerusalem is concerned that US President Donald Trump will announce a ceasefire with Iran as early as this coming Saturday, even before finalizing understandings with Tehran on Washington’s 15-point proposal for ending the war, Channel 12 news reports, citing senior Israeli officials.

In response, Israel’s political and security leadership has drawn up a plan over the past day prioritizing targets in Iran to secure “maximal achievements” before a possible US push to halt the fighting, according to the report.

“The likelihood of a detailed and comprehensive agreement between Iran and the US remains low, but the possibility of a more general framework agreement is plausible, necessitating Israeli preparation,” Israeli officials tell the network.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently discussing the matter in a meeting with senior defense officials, including Mossad chief David Barnea, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz, as well as some ministers and coalition members, the report adds.

The full security cabinet is also expected to convene later this evening.

This weekend will mark the fourth week of the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, for which the US set a four-to-six week timeline. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said this evening that Washington is “ahead of schedule and performing exceptionally,” and is “very close to meeting the core objectives of [the] operation.”

In a later report, senior American officials tell Channel 12 that there is no plan to announce a ceasefire at this stage, and that Washington has yet to receive a formal response from Iran on its 15-point proposal.

The US has not received any official Iranian response to the proposal, either directly or through mediators, the officials say, adding that the Iranians are currently public messaging in state media.

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