News Desk: The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, brokered by US President Donald Trump, appeared to be unraveling within hours of its implementation, as renewed hostilities broke out on both sides late Tuesday.
Despite official statements from both countries accepting the ceasefire agreement, air raid sirens blared across northern Israel soon after it took effect. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported incoming missile fire from Iran, prompting immediate retaliatory strikes on targets deep inside Tehran.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed the military response, stating:
“I have instructed the IDF to respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes on regime targets in the heart of Tehran.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich took to X (formerly Twitter) with a stark warning:
“Tehran will tremble.”
Ceasefire Claims and Conflicting Realities
The Trump-announced ceasefire was intended to mark the end of the 12-Day War, a fast-moving conflict that began on June 13, when Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, citing imminent security threats. This spiraled into days of missile exchanges and airstrikes, drawing in the United States with direct strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan over the weekend.
On Tuesday morning, Israel had officially declared the success of its Operation Rising Lion, stating it had removed the twin threats of Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities. It credited President Trump for brokering the ceasefire.
“In full coordination with President Trump, Israel agrees to the proposal for a bilateral ceasefire. We thank the US for its support in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Iran’s Position: Mixed Signals
Initially, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denied any formal ceasefire agreement. Later, in a separate post, he acknowledged Iran’s continued military operations until 4:00 a.m. Tehran time, portraying them as righteous retaliation.
“Our brave Armed Forces punished Israel until the final moment of operations. We remain ready to defend our sovereignty with our lives,” Araghchi wrote on X.
The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am.
Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025
Trump’s Version of Events
President Trump, in a series of exuberant posts on Truth Social, portrayed himself as the architect of peace:
“Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, ‘PEACE!’ The World, and the Middle East, are the real WINNERS!”
He described the conflict as the “12 Day War”, drawing comparisons to Israel’s historic Six Day War of 1967.
“In a very ironic way, that perfect ‘hit,’ late in the evening, brought everyone together and the deal was made,” he claimed, referencing the US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “The sites we hit were totally destroyed — even the Fake News admits they were ‘pretty well destroyed.’”
Trump also revealed that Iran had given advance warning of its missile strike on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, where the US Central Command is headquartered. Tehran had targeted the base late Monday in retaliation for the US strikes.
What Comes Next?
According to the ceasefire terms, Iran was to halt hostilities first, followed 12 hours later by Israel. If both sides observed calm for 24 hours, the war would be officially over. However, the renewed exchange of fire threatens to derail that framework.
The resumption of attacks underscores the fragility of the Trump-led diplomatic effort and raises doubts about whether either side is prepared to lay down arms permanently.
