Iran denies Israeli accusation it broke ceasefire
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, but doubts about its durability quickly emerged.
Israel accused Iran of breaking the truce shortly after it took effect, with Tehran denying its had launched any missiles since the agreement. Israeli officials were quick to threaten a heavy response to the attack they claimed Iran had launched.
Iranian state media announced that a truce was in place and although Iranian officials had not formally accepted the proposal, Tehran denied breaking the truce. 'No missiles were launched towards Israel after the ceasefire took effect,' semi-official Tasnim news agency said.
Iran had indicated it was willing to enter an agreement but would only accept a deal that would end the war 'forever" and would not be forced upon them.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had agreed to Mr Trump's proposal and that Israel had achieved its military objectives. 'In addition, the Israeli military achieved full air control over Tehran's skies, inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets,' the statement added.
'In the past 24 hours, the [military] has also struck hard at government targets in the heart of Tehran, eliminating hundreds of Basij operatives – the terrorist regime's repression mechanism – and eliminating another senior nuclear scientist.'
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X that 'as of now, there is no 'agreement' on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations'.
'However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,' he added. 'The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.'
Just before Mr Netanyahu accepted the proposal, Iran fired six waves of missiles towards Israel, killing at least four people.
The region was on edge ahead of the ceasefire announcement after Qatar thwarted Iranian missiles fired at a major US military base on Monday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
29 minutes ago
- The National
President Sheikh Mohamed holds call with Iranian President
President Sheikh Mohamed on Tuesday received a phone call from Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran. During the call, he welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, expressing hope it would serve as a foundation for enhancing stability, security and peace across the Middle East, state news agency Wam reported. He also reaffirmed the UAE's stance in supporting initiatives that advance peace and regional security. Mr Pezeshkian thanked Sheikh Mohamed for the UAE's position and solidarity. It follows a tumultuous 24 hours for the Gulf, after a thwarted Iranian attack on a major US military base in Qatar on Monday evening. The attack on Al Udeid Airbase, which came in retaliation for the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites at the weekend, led to the closure of airspace above Qatar, Bahrain and Iraq, forcing some flights to be diverted. A Qatari military official said two waves comprising 19 missiles had been launched at the base. All but one were shot down and there were no casualties. US President Donald Trump later said Iran and Israel have agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire, but Tehran initially pushed back on this claim. The ceasefire is expected to be enacted at about midnight Washington time, 'at which point the war will be considered ended', Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform. '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 will be saluted by the world,' he said.
The National
35 minutes ago
- The National
Israel-Iran conflict: How did things get here?
The recent hostilities between Israel and Iran may be seen as an unprecedented escalation in their long-standing conflict, which dates back to the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979. The regional arch-rivals have long been engaged in a shadow war, which has unfolded through cyber warfare, attacks through proxies, limited direct assaults and most recently, the air war. From proxy war to direct conflict Hostilities have simmered for decades, tied to Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and its perceived campaign to destroy Israel. The two nations have also clashed through proxies over the years, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian group Hamas. Some of the confrontations included limited tit-for-tat rocket exchanges and assassinations and cyber sabotage, such as Stuxnet, a program that was used by Israel to intercept nuclear centrifuges in Iran. By 2024, these proxy hostilities transformed into direct military exchanges. Israel, in offensives it said were linked to its war in Gaza after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, carried out assassinations and attacked Iranian interests in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. A suspected Israeli air strike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus killed seven IRGC officers, including two senior commanders. Iran responded with a barrage of drones and missiles in a direct attack on Israel in April. Later in October, Iran fired missiles again after Israeli attacks on Iranian territory. June 13: Israel launches strikes 'Operation Rising Lion' Israeli attacks catch Iran off-guard: Israel sent more than 200 aircraft to attack Iran on June 13, including F‑35 stealth fighters, as part of its Operation Rising Lion. More than 330 strikes hit approximately 100 nuclear, military and strategic locations across Iran, including Natanz, Isfahan, Tehran and Parchin. Several senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists were killed along with dozens of civilians as Tehran was caught off-guard . Sabotage by Mossad reportedly disabled Iranian air defences, paving the way for deep strikes. Israel claims its main objective is to take down the Iranian nuclear programme. Iran immediately responds: Launching its retaliatory operation, True Promise III, Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at central Israel, aiming for Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba. Israel's Iron Dome defences intercepted most, but several strikes caused civilian injuries and inflicted damage. Through the following week, the exchange left at least 24 Israeli civilians dead, scores injured, while Iranian casualties reached the hundreds, amid widespread destruction and civilians fleeing major cities. June 14- 21 : Retaliatory attacks continue Israel continued air raids on Tehran, Isfahan, Natanz, and parts of Iran − several of them nuclear enrichment sites. The air campaign destroyed oil and gas installations, intelligence buildings,more missile bases and airports. Some of these strikes were also carried out in densely populated civilian areas such as Tehran. Satellite images released by Maxar and Planet Labs PBC began to show the level of destruction of harder-to-reach military and nuclear energy sites across the country. Equally, Iran's missile barrages persisted, breaching Iron Dome defences, striking cities such as Tel Aviv, oil complexes in Haifa and hospitals in the south. June 22: US enters with Midnight Hammer On June 22, after hints and warnings of American intervention from President Donald Trump, the conflict reached a new level: US B‑2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles struck Iran's Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear plants as part of Operation Midnight Hammer. Mr Trump described the attacks as 'very successful' - although Iran downplayed their impact. The US intervention marked a significant shift in the scale of the war, but domestically, Mr Trump's decision drew bipartisan criticism for bypassing Congressional authorisation. June 23 : Regional impact as Iran strikes US base in Qatar What followed was a characteristic yet shocking retaliation. Iran fired missiles at the US military base in Qatar. One landed, causing no casualties; all others were intercepted. Meanwhile, Israel continued air raids on Tehran and western Iran. Regional airspace in one of the world's busiest aviation routes was disrupted. Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and other Gulf carriers suspended or rerouted dozens of flights June 24 : A sudden ceasefire? A sudden ceasefire was announced by Trump overnight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has agreed to the truce proposal, and later Iranian state TV reported that the ceasefire had begun. Israel then ordered strikes on Tehran after accusing Iran of violating the truce – an allegation rejected by Iran.
The National
35 minutes ago
- The National
Israeli drone strike kills three in south Lebanon
At least three people were killed in a drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, a day after the Israeli military carried out attacks across the area that it said were against Hezbollah targets. The deaths were confirmed by Lebanon's Health Ministry, which said an drone struck a car in Kfardjal in the Nabatieh district. Lebanese media reported the victims were a man who had run a money exchange in southern Beirut and was alleged to have financial ties to Hezbollah, and his two sons. The Israeli military did not issue a statement on the attack – the latest in near-daily breaches of a US-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel that took hold in November after 14 months of fighting. On Monday, Israel launched a wave of air strikes on towns and villages north of the Litani river, which runs about 30km from the Lebanon-Israel border. The outskirts of Zrariyeh, Kfrar Melki, Mahmoudiyah, Al Hatta, Ansar, Al Bisariya and Al Wardiya were hit, causing fires but no casualties, Lebanon's National News Agency said. The Israeli military said it had struck 'sites belonging to Hezbollah containing rocket and missile launchers, along with weapons storage facilities', and added it would 'continue to operate to remove any threat'. Hezbollah has largely withdrawn its forces from south of the Litani as part of the terms of the truce, Lebanese authorities have told The National. The agreement requires the Lebanese government to dismantle all Hezbollah facilities, infrastructure and military positions 'starting with the southern Litani area' within 60 days – but it did not set a timeline for dismantling the group's positions north of the river. Israel has continued its attacks on Hezbollah while also launching an aerial war against Iran, the group's patron. However, Hezbollah, now politically and militarily constrained after significant losses in its war with Israel, has not signalled any intent to support Tehran in the fight. 'Iran can defend itself,' a Hezbollah official told The National last week. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed Israel's ceasefire violations at a press conference with his Qatar counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman in Doha. 'We're working on extending the [Lebanese] state's authority across its territory. There can be no stability in Lebanon without Israel's full withdrawal, especially from the five points it is still occupying," he said.
