Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has accused Iran of violating a ceasefire agreement just two hours after it was enacted. The truce, which was brokered by former United States President Donald Trump and Qatar, was reportedly breached when missiles were fired at Israel a charge Iran denies, according to Iranian state media.
Minister Katz vowed a strong response, stating that Israel would “respond forcefully with targeted strikes at command centers in Tehran” for Iran’s breach of the ceasefire. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council warned that any further attacks would be met with a “decisive, sustained, and timely response,” though Tehran had previously indicated it would honor the ceasefire if Israel ceased its attacks.
Officials confirmed that four Israeli civilians were killed in one of the most violent nights of fighting in Tehran. The escalation followed Iran’s missile attack on a United States airbase in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Qatar reported that all incoming missiles were intercepted mid-air.
The ceasefire, officially announced on June 23, 2025, by Donald Trump, aimed to end nearly a week of hostilities between Iran and Israel following coordinated strikes by both sides on strategic military and nuclear sites. Despite the declaration, multiple missile attacks were launched by Iran just before and shortly after the truce took effect, resulting in casualties and infrastructure damage in Israel.
Defense Minister Katz characterized Iran’s actions as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire and ordered the Israeli military to carry out sustained retaliatory strikes on Iranian military and governmental targets.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi clarified that while Iran had not formally agreed to the ceasefire, Tehran had signaled it would halt military responses if Israel stopped its attacks at a specific time. He emphasized that Iran’s military operations continued “up until the last minute” before the ceasefire announcement, with final decisions about ending operations made afterward.
Iranian officials accused both Israel and the United States of instigating the conflict and violating international law. Iran has only conditionally accepted the ceasefire, demanding that Israel end its “illegal aggression.”
Though the ceasefire was publicly announced and accepted as a framework for de-escalation, the missile strikes from Iran immediately before and after the truce’s commencement have led Israel to label them as violations, prompting military retaliation.