A tenuous ceasefire brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump to halt the 12-day war between Israel and Iran came under immediate strain on Tuesday, as Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its territory just hours after the truce began.
Iran, however, firmly denied firing any missiles following the ceasefire's commencement, raising tensions over competing narratives in an already volatile situation.
The ceasefire, intended to end days of deadly conflict, was declared early Tuesday after both Israel and Iran reportedly agreed to Trump’s proposal.
The former U.S. President posted on Truth Social: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!” Iranian state television also reported that the ceasefire took effect at 7:30 a.m. local time.
But less than three hours later, explosions rocked northern Israel, prompting sirens and panic. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a breach of the ceasefire and ordered the resumption of military operations, directing forces to target Tehran and strike “regime and terror infrastructure.”
According to Israeli officials, 20 Iranian missiles were launched toward Beersheba, killing at least four people and injuring more than 20 others. Police said multiple residential buildings were hit, and even reinforced safe rooms failed to withstand the impact of ballistic missiles. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich posted on X, “Tehran will tremble.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel had met all its military objectives and warned: “Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire.”
Iran, however, rejected the allegations outright. Iranian state TV quoted the armed forces, including the Revolutionary Guard, as saying no missile was fired after the ceasefire began.
Hours earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had written on X: “As of now, there is NO agreement on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations… Provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
The sequence of events remains disputed. Heavy Israeli airstrikes reportedly continued in Iranian cities until around 4 a.m., and Tehran had previously launched a limited retaliatory missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar. No casualties were reported, as Iran allegedly warned the U.S. in advance.
Trump, declaring what he called the “12 Day War” over, said the ceasefire marked an “Official END” to the fighting. His reference to the conflict evoked the memory of the 1967 Six-Day War and was seen as symbolically charged in the region.
The human toll has been severe: at least 28 people have been killed and over 1,000 injured in Israel, while Iranian casualties are estimated at 974 dead and 3,458 wounded, according to Human Rights Activists, a U.S.-based monitoring group.
The violence also disrupted air travel. Israel briefly shut down its airspace to emergency flights, and Qatar Airways resumed flights after temporarily halting operations due to the earlier Iranian strike on Al Udeid Air Base.
As each side holds firm to its narrative, the future of the ceasefire remains uncertain. With both nations trading accusations and standing ready to escalate, the conflict’s next chapter may hinge on international diplomacy and restraint.