Israel Claims Iran Fired Missiles After Ceasefire Began; Iran Denies/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel intercepted missiles it says Iran launched after a fragile ceasefire commenced. Tehran rejects the claims, accusing Israel of renewed strikes. President Trump admonished both parties, asserting neither honored the truce.
Quick Look
- Sirens sounded across northern Israel; Israeli military says it downed two Iranian missiles hours after ceasefire began.
- Iran’s armed forces, via state media, denied firing and instead attributed recent explosions to Israeli activity.
- Israel’s defense minister authorized renewed offensive operations, while the U.S. president pressed both parties to honor the truce.
Israel Claims Iran Fired Missiles After Ceasefire Began; Iran Denies
Deep Look
A ceasefire that Israel and Iran agreed upon Monday seemed to unravel within hours. By early Tuesday morning, air raid sirens echoed across northern Israel and an anonymous Israeli military source confirmed two Iranian ballistic missiles had breached the airspace—though both were intercepted. Defense Minister Israel Katz immediately instructed the Israel Defense Forces to resume “intense operations” targeting Tehran’s regime infrastructure and terror facilities.
Conversely, Iranian state-controlled media categorically rejected the Israeli narrative. They asserted that Iran did not fire any missiles post-ceasefire and instead blamed Israel for launching fresh strikes. However, the reports offered no visual proof or independent confirmation. The discord stems in part from initially ambiguous truce timelines: President Trump’s announcement indicated Iran would cease first, with Israel following later. Despite this, he later affirmed the ceasefire was fully in effect.
Trump addressed the press from the White House, condemning violations on both sides. He stated, “They violated it but Israel violated it too … I’m not happy with Israel,” publicly urging Israel to recall pilots and halt bombing.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, defended Israel’s actions. He reaffirmed that the country had achieved its military goals—neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and missile threats—and vowed to retaliate if Iran breached the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a cautious diplomatic tone, noted Iran’s commitment to restraint so long as Israel did not continue its bombardment. He added that a full ceasefire decision would be made at a later stage.
This ceasefire attempt follows an escalation across the region. Israel alleges Iran launched roughly 20 missiles before the ceasefire—or early into its enforcement—striking Beersheba. The city saw several apartment buildings damaged, at least four civilian casualties, and numerous injured during rescue operations. On the U.S. front, Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, marking the first direct assault on American forces in the region during this confrontation. Later, the U.S. Embassy and allied diplomats advised citizens in the region to shelter in place.
In Iraq, drone attacks struck U.S. bases housing American troops. While a U.S. military official (speaking anonymously) confirmed drones were intercepted near Baghdad and Al-Asad, no casualties were reported. Iran-backed militias in Iraq later asserted they were behind the attacks, citing them as retaliation for foreign intervention in Iran.
The casualty count in this war of escalating tit-for-tats continues to climb. Israeli authorities report at least 28 dead and over 1,000 injured. On the Iranian side, 974 fatalities have occurred—387 civilians and 268 security personnel—though details remain difficult to verify independently. U.S. officials have evacuated around 250 American citizens and family members from Israel, while approximately 700,000 Americans (mostly dual nationals) remain in-country, raising ongoing safety concerns.
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