Israel and Iran Continue Strikes Despite Trump-Brokered Ceasefire Amid Escalating Conflict

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration of a ceasefire intended to end a 12-day war between Israel and Iran, both nations continued exchanging fire into Tuesday morning, casting doubt on the truce’s effectiveness. The ceasefire was announced by Trump via social media just after 5 a.m. BST, following several days of intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy and military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. However, shortly after the announcement, air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel in response to what the Israeli military claimed was an Iranian missile launch. Although Iran denied launching missiles after the ceasefire announcement, Israeli officials said two missiles were intercepted and ordered immediate retaliation.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz responded by authorizing “powerful strikes” against regime targets in the heart of Tehran, accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire. In a strongly worded statement, Katz directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to continue operations to dismantle terrorist infrastructures in Iran. Hardline Israeli leaders, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also promised further action, warning that “Tehran will tremble.”

Iranian state media countered that the ceasefire had been “imposed on the enemy” and claimed that earlier waves of attacks had inflicted significant damage on Israeli-occupied territories. Reports confirmed that Iran had fired 20 missiles, killing five people and wounding at least 22 in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. Visual documentation showed extensive destruction, including the retrieval of bodies from collapsed residential buildings.

Despite these developments, Israeli authorities publicly acknowledged the ceasefire, claiming to have achieved their strategic goals, including efforts to neutralize nuclear and ballistic missile threats. However, in the hours preceding the ceasefire announcement, Israel had reportedly conducted its most intense air raids on Tehran yet. Iranian sources confirmed multiple casualties, including the death of nine individuals in northern Iran and the assassination of prominent nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber. His son had reportedly been killed days earlier in a separate strike on the family’s home in Tehran.

The wider context of the ceasefire includes a prior Iranian retaliatory missile strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar, a response to American participation in Israeli-led attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. While Iran stated that advance notice of the strike had been given to avoid casualties, U.S. President Trump acknowledged the warning and noted that no Americans had been harmed. A separate report of an attack on a U.S. base in Iraq was later deemed a false alarm.

In the United States, the ceasefire announcement was framed as a diplomatic achievement. Trump declared a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” had been agreed to by both Israel and Iran, calling it an end to the “12 Day War.” However, even as he celebrated the agreement, former U.S. officials and commentators questioned the logistics and terms of the ceasefire, particularly whether ongoing military missions were permitted after its announcement.

Trump’s administration also sought to frame the destruction of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as a key outcome of the conflict. While Trump claimed that the underground Fordow enrichment site had been “totally destroyed,” the head of the UN nuclear watchdog stated that no independent assessment of the damage had been made. U.S. Vice President JD Vance asserted that Iran’s capacity to build a nuclear weapon had been eliminated, though further diplomatic negotiations are expected to determine the path forward.

As exchanges of fire continue and tensions escalate, the future of the ceasefire remains uncertain. Both sides appear to be using military action to solidify political narratives, with broader regional implications hanging in the balance.

Source-  BBC News, The Economic Times, The Guardian.