Israel says Iran violates ceasefire, orders strikes on Tehran
[Editor's Note: Follow the KT live blog for live updates on the Israel-Iran conflict.]
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he had ordered the military to strike Tehran after Iran fired missiles in violation of a ceasefire after 12 days of war.
"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 (Israel Defence Forces)... to continue high-intensity operations targeting regime assets and terror infrastructure in Tehran," he said.
The Israeli military said it was working to shoot down Iranian missiles after detecting a launch.
Israel had said on Tuesday a ceasefire was in effect after it had achieved all the goals of the bombing campaign against Iran that it launched on June 13. Iran had confirmed that it would halt retaliation if Israel's bombing stopped.
"In light of the achievement of the operation's goals, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel agreed to the President's proposal for a mutual ceasefire," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said in a statement.
"Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat," he said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had said that Iran would halt its retaliatory strikes provided that Israel stopped attacking as of 4am in Tehran.
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At around the same time, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, delivered a letter from Mr Trump to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that outlined terms for a possible deal. Qatar and Oman have also played instrumental roles in backchannel diplomacy, trying to keep lines between Washington and Tehran open. 'The Gulf states want to see regional de-escalation and a ceasefire. What this Israel-Iran war has shown is how these conflicts destabilise the entire region and easily spiral out of control,' said Ms Jacob. In launching measured strikes on the US base in Qatar, Iran may have avoided further escalation with the US. But it now risks squandering a rapprochement with its Gulf neighbours, countries that, while eager to avoid conflict, are unlikely to forget the sight of missiles streaking across their skies. "The Gulf has gone through many crises and, with every test, one truth becomes clear: unity is indispensable. Our solidarity, under wise leadership, is the source of our strength and the safeguard of our stability and prosperity," Dr Gargash wrote on X on Tuesday. "Through this solidarity, we confront challenges."
