Israeli defence minister Israel Katz on Tuesday ordered fresh military strikes on Iran, accusing Tehran of violating a US-brokered ceasefire by launching missiles after the truce had taken effect.
Iran denied the charge, saying no missiles were fired at Israel following the ceasefire’s start, according to Iranian state television reports.
“In light of Iran’s blatant violation of the ceasefire declared by the President of the United States, through the launch of missiles toward Israel, and in accordance with the Israeli government's policy to respond forcefully to any breach, I have instructed the IDF to continue high-intensity operations targeting regime assets and terror infrastructure in Tehran,” Katz said in a statement cited by Reuters.
Israeli officials said sirens were triggered in northern Israel after missiles were detected from Iranian territory more than two hours after the truce commenced.
Iranian Supreme National Security Council claimed Israel was trying to cover up its “forced retreat” by framing a false violation.
The ceasefire, brokered by US President Donald Trump after 12 days of fighting that had drawn in American forces, appeared to hang in the balance as both sides stuck to their diverging narratives.
Russia said it supported the ceasefire but remained unsure of its durability. “It is difficult to say whether this ceasefire will hold,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov remarked in Moscow.
France urged Iran to return to talks. “Iran must immediately engage in negotiations that would lead to an accord over its nuclear and ballistic programme,” said the French foreign ministry.
In a sign of attempted regional de-escalation, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Majid Takhtravanchi thanked Qatar for its “constructive role” in facilitating diplomacy.
Takhtravanchi told Qatari minister of state Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi that Iran remained committed to good neighbourly relations despite firing missiles at the US al-Udeid base in Qatar as retaliation for earlier American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to Iran’s Young Journalist Club.
While Israel continues to press ahead with strikes it says are justified by Iran’s ceasefire breach, Tehran’s denials have added fresh uncertainty to an already fragile truce, with the region watching closely to see whether the path forward leads to further escalation.