Israel accuses Iran of ceasefire breach, orders renewed strikes on Tehran
JERUSALEM, June 24 — Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he had ordered the military to strike Tehran in response to what he said were missiles fired by Iran in a violation of the ceasefire announced hours earlier by US President Donald Trump.
However, Iran's ISNA student news agency said reports that Iran had fired missiles at Israel after the ceasefire took effect were false.
The developments raised early doubts about the ceasefire, intended to end 12 days of war.
Katz said in a statement he had ordered the military to 'continue high-intensity operations targeting regime assets and terror infrastructure in Tehran' in light of 'Iran's blatant violation of the ceasefire declared by the President of the United States.'
Hours earlier, Trump had posted on Truth Social: 'THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had confirmed the ceasefire, saying Israel had achieved the goals it had set in launching its June 13 surprise attack on Iran, to destroy its nuclear programme and missile capabilities.
'Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat,' Netanyahu had 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.
Global stock markets surged and oil prices tumbled on Tuesday after the announcement of the ceasefire, in the hope it heralded a resolution of the war just two days after the United States joined it by hitting Iranian nuclear sites with huge bunker-busting bombs. — Reuters
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Malay Mail
30 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Can flattery save Nato? Rutte charms Trump with clever defence spending deal
THE HAGUE, June 24 — When former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte took over as Nato chief last year his primary task was clear: keep Donald Trump on board should he come back to power. Now, on the eve of hosting his first alliance summit as boss in his hometown, The Hague, the veteran political operator seems on the verge of delivering. With a combination of diplomatic finessing and a large dose of flattery, Rutte looks set to make the volatile US leader happy with a carefully crafted deal that meets Trump's demand for Nato allies to spend five per cent of GDP on defence. 'He's been quite masterful in keeping the alliance together in a very difficult and sensitive period,' a senior Nato diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Rutte's tour de force was cooking up a compromise on spending that allows Trump to claim victory by hitting his headline five-per cent figure, while in reality setting the bar lower. The agreement sees countries promise to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core military spending, while the other 1.5 per cent goes to a looser array of areas like infrastructure and cybersecurity. Getting a successful outcome for Nato, the transatlantic alliance forged during the Cold War, was by no means a given when Trump stormed back into the White House threatening allies he would not protect them if they did not cough up. As Washington berated Ukraine, cosied up to Russia and opened the door to pulling forces from Europe, it set alarm bells ringing over the future of an alliance founded on US might. Rutte's strategy has seemed relatively simple: never criticise or contradict the notoriously sensitive former reality TV star. Pain from Spain When Trump suggested Ukraine caused Russia's invasion: silence. When he yelled at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office: no pushback. When he threatened not to protect allies: nothing to see here. Instead, according to Rutte, Trump has been absolutely right to demand a quick end to the Ukraine war, has not called into question Nato's mutual defence ethos, and has actually made the alliance stronger by forcing allies to spend more. All that courting appears to have paid off. Diplomats say Rutte is one of only a handful of European leaders Trump willingly picks up the phone to and that the two text each other. 'Clearly the job is to keep the United States engaged as far as you can, even if it means that you have to sound a bit like Donald Trump occasionally,' said Jamie Shea, a former senior Nato official now with the Chatham House think tank. 'So as long as that's the situation, I think allies will sort of turn a blind eye in Europe, at least to the occasional uses of Trumpian means and themes' by Rutte. That does not mean European allies have always been comfortable with Rutte's performance – with some at times accusing him of going too far to please Trump. That very nearly ended up blowing up in Rutte's face when Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threw a last-minute spanner in the works by baulking at the spending deal. In the end though, Rutte again showed his diplomatic chops and managed to smooth over the kerfuffle with another sleight of hand that allowed all sides to claim they got what they wanted. 'Hats off to Rutte's artistry,' said another Nato diplomat. 'Once again we saw his touch.' — AFP
The Star
41 minutes ago
- The Star
Trump says both Israel and Iran violated ceasefire
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump says Tuesday (June 24) that he believes that both Israel and Iran violated ceasefire terms with attacks that followed an early Tuesday deadline to cease hostilities. Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. Iran's state media said its military denied firing on Israel. Trump said Iran "violated it but Israel violated it too... I'm not happy with Israel." Israel and Iran had accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by President Trump to end their 12-day war that had roiled the Middle East, following Tehran's limited, retaliatory missile attack on a US military base in Qatar on Monday. A high-profile Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in an Israeli strike, making him the latest in a list of top atomic experts who are said to have been killed in Israeli attacks over the last 12 days. Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, who the US State Department had sanctioned last month, was killed at his father-in-law's residence in an early Tuesday morning strike in northern Iran, according to the report. It added that three projectiles had hit the residence, and an earlier round of strikes had killed his 17-year-old son on June 13. The Council on Foreign Relations on Monday said that Israeli strikes had killed at least 10 nuclear scientists since the Israel-Iran war broke out. The US State Department last month described Sedighi Saber as the head of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research's Shahid Karimi Group, which works on explosives-related projects, adding that he was "linked to projects including research and testing applicable to the development of nuclear explosive devices." Turkey has welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran but also said it was closely monitoring statements indicating violations. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry urged all parties to fully observe the ceasefire the "critical period ahead," saying the Middle East was in need of peace and stability. The ministry also called for the resolution of the Palestinian issue that it described as being at the "root of many problems in the Middle East." French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed concerns that the Israel-Iran war has increased the risk that Iranian leaders will continue work in secret to enrich uranium that can be used for nuclear weapons. "This risk has, it's true, increased with what has happened recently," Macron said. He was asked if Iranian uranium-enrichment work could continue in secret after nearly two weeks of Israeli airstrikes and the dropping of giant bunker-busting bombs by US stealth bombers on Iranian nuclear plants. He repeated France's desire for negotiations to address concerns about Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. "Our shared objective is that Iran doesn't equip itself with a nuclear weapon," he said. President Donald Trump says Israel and Iran violated ceasefire terms with attacks following an early Tuesday deadline to cease hostilities. Trump made the comments to reporters at the White House before departing for the Nato summit at The Hague. He expressed disappointment about the continued attacks. "They violated it but Israel violated it too," Trump said. He added, "I'm not happy with Israel." "Attacking Qatar is unacceptable… we were surprised by the attack on the military base," said Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, referring to Monday's attack on the Al Udeid Air Base. The base is a sprawling desert facility in Qatar that serves as a major regional military hub for American forces. He told reporters Tuesday that the Iranian attack had left a "scar" on his country's relationship with Tehran. Al Thani said Qatar will not resort to escalatory steps, but will rely on legal measures and diplomacy instead when responding to the attack. He added that Qatar intercepted all missiles except one that fell in a deserted area. An Israeli strike Monday on Iran's city of Karaj near Tehran killed seven members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, including two generals with the paramilitary force, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. A military plane evacuating 101 French nationals from Israel to Cyprus took off from Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, French authorities said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said similar evacuation flights will follow. Priority is given to those with medical and humanitarian issues, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Those who can travel on their own can still cross to Jordan and Egypt to take commercial flights, it said. A deputy governor in Iran's northern Gilan province along the Caspian Sea said an Israeli strike before the ceasefire killed nine civilians, state media reported. Iran says it transferred all inmates out of its notorious Evin prison after an Israeli strike targeted the facility on Monday. Iran's Prisons Organization said all the inmates had been moved to other prisons around the capital, Tehran. It said the move was necessary for workers to repair damage there. Evin prison is known for holding both political prisoners and those with Western ties for negotiations with the wider world. It also has a specialized unit overseen by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told a group of British lawmakers he believes much – but not all – of Iran's enriched uranium was destroyed by Israeli and US strikes. "We think at least the majority of it might be, gone, but not everything," he said. He said Iran's nuclear ambitions "were hurt and they were taken backwards significantly. We just don't know exactly right now how much." Lapid told the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that Iran likely smuggled some of the uranium out of the facilities that have been attacked. "There are only a limited number of places they can smuggle the uranium to," he said. "You don't take it in a suitcase and put it at home until the fire stops." Iran's military denied Tuesday it fired missiles at Israel hours after a ceasefire proposed by President Donald Trump began, Iranian state television reported. The report cited the general staff of Iran's armed forces, which includes its regular military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Israel reported missile fire some two and a half hours after the ceasefire began. Israeli officials have ordered a strike on Iran in response, though there's no immediate report of an attack there. Iran's top security body has praised its military for its conduct in the 12-day war with Israel, likely signalling Tehran believes the ceasefire will hold. The statement from the Supreme National Security Council came as Israel said it would conduct immediate strikes on Iran for allegedly violating the terms of US President Donald Trump's proposed ceasefire in the war. The council said Iran's armed forces "will be ready to give a decisive and regretful response to any act of aggression by the enemy." Egypt said in a statement Tuesday morning that it welcomes US President Donald Trump's announcement of reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "It is a critical point into ending this conflict between both countries and restoring peace in the region," the statement read. Egypt called upon the countries to fully abide by the ceasefire and practice full restraint. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday also welcomed Trump's announcement of a ceasefire, though the hopeful statement came as the agreement was faltering. "The Kingdom looks forward to all parties committing to de-escalation in the coming period," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said. Less than three hours after the ceasefire came into effect, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Iran had "completely violated" the ceasefire by launching missiles. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said it summoned Iran's ambassador to the country and stressed that Monday's attack on a US military base there was a violation of international law and Qatar's sovereignty and airspace. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it affirmed that it "reserves the right to respond to this blatant violation in accordance with international law." Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Iran had "completely violated" the ceasefire between Israel and Iran by launching missiles more than two hours after the ceasefire came into effect. Katz said he instructed the Israeli military to resume targeting Iranian paramilitary and government targets in Tehran. According to Israel's emergency services, there were no injuries in the missiles launched towards Israel after the ceasefire started. Overnight, just before the ceasefire started, Israel launched more than 100 munitions targeting dozens of sites in Tehran, including missile launchers. Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing US troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said Tuesday. Iraqi army spokesperson Sabah Al-Naaman in a statement called the attacks a "treacherous and cowardly act of aggression" and said they had damaged radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and at Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar province. Iraqi forces shot down drones at other locations, he said. A senior US military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, said American forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert of western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed. No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target American bases if the US attacked Iran. Sirens sounded across northern Israel after Israel said it had identified missiles launched from Iran, less than three hours after the ceasefire began. Explosions could be heard as Israeli air defenses fired. "Tehran will tremble," wrote Israeli firebrand Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich on X after the missiles were launched. The Awda hospital in Gaza's urban Nuseirat refugee camp said another 146 people were wounded when Israeli forces and drones opened fire toward hundreds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks. Among them were 62 in critical condition, who were transferred to other hospitals in central Gaza, it said. In the central town of Deir al-Balah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital said it received the bodies of six people who were killed in the same incident. The deaths were the latest in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza which killed about 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but says more than a half of the dead were women and children. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostages. Most of the hostages were released by ceasefire agreements. "It was a massacre," said Ahmed Halawa. He said tanks and drones fired at people, "even as we were fleeing. Many people were either martyred or wounded." Hossam Abu Shahada, another eyewitness, said drones were flying over the area, watching the crowds first, then there was gunfire from tanks and drones as people were moving eastward. He described a "chaotic and bloody" scene as people were attempting to escape. He said he saw at least three people lying on the ground motionless and many others wounded as he fled the site. Israeli forces and drones opened fire toward hundreds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in central Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 25 people, Palestinian witnesses and hospitals said. The Israeli military did not immediately comment. The Awda hospital in the urban Nuseirat refugee camp, which received the victims, said the Palestinians were waiting for the trucks on the Salah al-Din Road south of Wadi Gaza. Witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli forces opened fire as people were advancing eastward to be close to the approaching trucks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has agreed to the bilateral ceasefire with Iran in coordination with President Donald Trump. Netanyahu said that he had reported to Israel's security cabinet Monday night that Israel had achieved all of its war goals in the 12-day operation against Iran, including removing the threat of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Israel also damaged Iran's military leadership and several government sites and achieved control over Tehran's skies, Netanyahu said. "Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire," Netanyahu said. Israel police said the barrage damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in Beersheba. Outside, the shells of burned out cars littered the streets. Broken glass and rubble covered the area. Hundreds of emergency workers gathered to search for anyone else trapped in the buildings. Israel police said the impact of the hit was so great that some people were injured even while inside their reinforced safe rooms in each apartment. The safe rooms are meant to withstand rockets and shrapnel but not direct hits from ballistic missiles. Residents evacuated damaged building with their suitcases Tuesday morning in Beersheba. Some said they were sceptical of the ceasefire announced by Trump. "I don't believe the Iranians," said Ortal Avilevich, a resident who lives five minutes away from the blast. "I'm happy with Donald Trump and I think Iran is afraid of him, but I hope there is quiet right now." Israel's Airports Authority said the country's airspace has reopened for emergency flights after closing earlier due to an hours-long barrage of missiles from Iran. Israeli firefighters said they retrieved four bodies from a building hit by an Iranian missile in the city of Beersheba. The direct hit in the largest city in southern Israel comes just days after the city's hospital sustained significant damage in a missile strike. The search and rescue team said they retrieved four bodies from one building in Beersheba and were searching for more. The Israel Airports Authority said the barrages from Iran forced them to close the skies to all passenger planes, including emergency flights that were expected to land and depart on Tuesday. Some flights were forced to circle over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Israeli media. Israel's airports have been closed since the war with Iran began, but a handful of emergency flights had started arriving and departing over the past few days. Israeli firefighters said they rescued at least three people, including children trapped in the rubble of an apartment building after an Iranian missile barrage struck southern Israel. In Beersheba, first responders cordoned off blocks as they tried to assess how many people had been killed and injured. The streets around the impact site were littered with glass and debris, windows were blown out of buildings as anxious neighbors stood outside their damaged houses. Iranian state television reported Tuesday that a ceasefire had begun in its war with Israel, even as Israel warned the public of a new missile barrage launched from Iran. It wasn't immediately possible to reconcile the messages from Iran and Israel on the 12th day of their war. Iranian state television announced the ceasefire in a graphic on screen, not immediately acknowledging the new missile barrage coming after the deadline set by President Donald Trump in his earlier ceasefire announcement. Israel warned of another wave of incoming missiles 20 minutes after the ceasefire was supposed to come into effect. Israel's Magen David Adom rescue services said at least three people were killed and eight injured in the early morning barrage. A residential building in Israel's south sustained heavy damage, emergency responders said. Waves of missiles sent Israelis across the country to bomb shelters for almost two hours Tuesday morning. – AP
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Oil slides, stocks jump amid Iran-Israel ceasefire uncertainty
LONDON: Oil prices sank and stock markets jumped Tuesday, even as uncertainty reined over a Israel-Iran ceasefire. In volatile trading, crude futures slumped more than 5% after US President Donald Trump's declaration of a ceasefire. The oil market went on to reduce its losses, however, as Israel and Iran accused each other of breaking the ceasefire -- news confirmed by Trump. The president berated the two sides, adding that he was 'really unhappy' with Israel in particular. Despite tensions igniting once more, oil prices were still down more than 3% by early afternoon trading in Europe. 'Investors are reacting with relief to apparent news of a US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel,' noted AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould. 'Gold slipped back as its safe haven attributes were less in demand,' Mould said, adding that the news weighed on share prices of oil producers and miners. The dollar retreated against main rivals after Trump once more demanded that the US Federal Reserve cut interest rates in a bid to boost the world's biggest economy. Escalating tensions in the Middle East has removed some focus from Trump's tariffs war, which threatens to dampen global economic growth. In Germany, where the DAX stocks index rallied 1.9%, Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran and Israel to follow the ceasefire announced by Trump. 'We call on both Iran and Israel to heed this call from the American president,' Merz told parliament. 'If this ceasefire succeeds... then it will be a very positive development that can make the Middle East and the world safer.' French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that the situation surrounding Iran remained 'volatile and unstable'. There are fears that Iran could shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about one-fifth of the world's oil supply. Rystad Energy analyst Jorge Leon told AFP that he believed the risk of the waterway shutting had diminished despite Iran launching missiles at a US base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities. Trump dismissed the attack as 'very weak', and said Iran gave 'early notice', adding no one was hurt or killed. 'I think the risk of closing Hormuz now has diminished rapidly because US and Iranian tension is already over,' Leon argued. 'I think it's more about what happens just between Israel and Iran.' - Key figures at around 1115 GMT - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.1% at $66.38 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.2% at $68.30 per barrel London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3% at 8,786.54 points Paris - CAC 40: UP 1.2% at 7,625.70 Frankfurt - DAX: UP 1.8% at 23,686.87 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1% at 38,790.56 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.1% at 24,177.07 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 1.2% at 3,420.57 (close) New York - Dow: UP 0.9% at 42,581.78 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1596 from $1.1581 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3606 from $1.3526 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 145.06 yen from 146.12 yen
