Israel accuses Iran of violating ceasefire; orders 'powerful strikes'
What's the story
Israel's defense minister had accused Iran of violating the truce just two hours after agreeing to the accord mediated by Donald Trump and Qatar. Sirens were sounded across northern Israel, signaling the incoming threat. Defense Minister Israel Katz said he has instructed the army to "respond forcefully to Iran's violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran." According to Times of Israel, Iran launched two ballistic missiles at Israel. Both were intercepted.
IDF
Iran denies claim
Iran's state media has responded to Israel's charges, denying that it fired a missile at Israel after the ceasefire began. It had earlier said it would respect the ceasefire if Israel did the same. Both the countries had agreed to a ceasefire within 12 hours, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating on Tuesday morning that Israel had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran after achieving all of its objectives under "Operation Rising Lion."
Iran
Iran had also declared a ceasefire
Iran had also declared a ceasefire a few hours earlier. But hours before that, it launched several missiles at Israel, killing at least seven people in Beersheba. It also fired missiles targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar—the largest US military base in the region—the night before. However, a US official said that the US intercepted the missiles with the help of Qatar, and Trump, who described the reaction as "very weak," took a de-escalating tone on social media.
Ceasefire
Trump first announced the ceasefire
Trump first announced the ceasefire on Monday night. Then, in the morning, he posted on social media that the ceasefire was now in effect, adding, "PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!" He brokered the ceasefire through talks with Netanyahu, while his team, including Vice President JD Vance, and Qatar were involved in talks with Tehran, a senior White House official told Reuters.
Timeline
Trump's timeline for ceasefire
As per Trump, Iran would start the ceasefire, followed by Israel 12 hours later, with a formal end to the conflict 24 hours after the deal took effect. "Officially, 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 added. The conflict began on June 12 when Israel launched dozens of military strikes against Iran, including the country's nuclear program.