Israel will ‘respond forcefully’ to Iran ceasefire violation
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he has ordered the country’s military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel, Reuters reports.
The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel.
The Israeli military said it was working to shoot down Iranian missiles after detecting the launch.
Less than three hours earlier, US president Donald Trump had said that the ceasefire was now in effect.
Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.
He said:
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.
Key events
News about a missile attack by Iran on Israel after the ceasefire between the two countries took effect is “denied”, Iranian media reported through Reuters, quoting state TV.
Israeli military said earlier it detected missile launches from Iran to which Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said Israel would respond “forcefully”.
Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.
Qatar summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday after Iran attacked the major US military base on Qatari soil after American strikes hit its nuclear facilities, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The foreign ministry expressed its “strong condemnation” of the attack and repeated that it “retains the right to respond to this egregious violation”, a statement said.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Iran’s deputy foreign minister thanked Qatar on Tuesday for its “constructive role” in preventing regional escalation, according to Iran’s Young Journalist Club.
The minister, Majid Takhtravanchi, gave the message in a phone call with Qatari Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, the report added.
Takhtravanchi said:
Iran is determined to continue and strengthen relations between the two countries based on good neighbourliness and supreme interests.
The Israeli military reported two missiles fired from Iran mid-morning on Tuesday, leading sirens to blare in the north several hours after US president Trump announced a ceasefire plan, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The army initially said it had identified missiles launched from Iran 2.5 hours after the start of the ceasefire.
“Two missiles were launched from Iran and they were intercepted,” a military official told AFP on condition of anonymity, with the army saying people could leave shelters about 15 minuutes after the first alert.
Israel will ‘respond forcefully’ to Iran ceasefire violation
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he has ordered the country’s military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel, Reuters reports.
The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel.
The Israeli military said it was working to shoot down Iranian missiles after detecting the launch.
Less than three hours earlier, US president Donald Trump had said that the ceasefire was now in effect.
Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.
He said:
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.
Iran is assessing damage to its nuclear industry and arrangements had been made for its restoration, Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said on Tuesday according to Mehr news, Reuters reports.
The comments came after a series of Israeli and US strikes targeted Iran’s main nuclear facilities.
Eslami said:
The plan is to prevent interruptions in the process of production and services.
The Israeli military warned on Tuesday that “danger persists” despite the government earlier announcing it had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on the 12th day of war between the foes, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
Army spokesperson Brig Gen Effie Defrin said in a televised press conference:
The Chief of Staff instructed all of the army to maintain a high level of alertness and preparedness for a powerful response to any violation of the ceasefire.
I want to stress that at this stage there is no change to the Home Front command instructions. The instructions must be obeyed. The danger persists.
Israeli military detects another Iranian barrage hours after ceasefire begins
Israel’s military says it had detected another Iranian barrage of missiles hours after the start of the ceasefire, showing how dangerous the situation remained, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
The army says it has identified missiles launched from Iran 2.5 hours after the start of the ceasefire.
Sirens sounded in northern Israel and explosions could be heard as Israeli air defenses fired.
The Israeli government had said it would respond “forcefully” to any violation of the ceasefire.
It comes after Iran launched several salvoes of ballistic missiles at Israel early on Tuesday, damaging at least three densely packed residential buildings in Beersheba.
First responders said they retrieved five bodies from one building after the earlier strikes and were searching for more. At least 20 people were injured.
China does not want tensions between Israel and Iran to escalate and is willing to work with the international community to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference China is calling on all parties concerned to return to political settlement at an early date.
The remarks came after Donald Trump said on Tuesday a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in place.
Iranian state television said on Tuesday an overnight Israeli strike killed a nuclear scientist in northern Iran, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The strike reportedly took place before US president Donald Trump said a ceasefire was in effect between the Middle Eastern foes.
Citing sources, the broadcaster reported the killing of Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber at his parents’ residence in Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh in northern Iran.
Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber was under US sanctions. Several days ago, his 17-year-old son was reported killed in a strike on their home in Tehran, the broadcaster said.
Israel’s opposition leader on Tuesday called for an end to the more than 20-month war with Hamas in Gaza, after Israel announced it had agreed to a ceasefire with Iran.
Yair Lapid wrote on X:
And now Gaza. It’s time to finish it there too. Bring back the hostages, end the war. Israel needs to start rebuilding.
An update on the Iranian strikes in Beersheba earlier on Tuesday has raised the number of confirmed deaths from the strikes to five, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Iran’s barrage damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in the city, police said.
First responders said they retrieved five bodies from one building and were searching for more. At least 20 people were injured.
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.
Police said some people were injured even while inside their apartments’ reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets and shrapnel but not direct hits from ballistic missiles.
The direct hit in the largest city in southern Israel came before Trump said the ceasefire had gone into effect.
