Live: Israel blames Iran for ceasefire 'violation'
People walk past a huge banner on Enghelab (Revolution) Square, in Tehran on 24 June.
Photo:
AFP / ATTA KENARE
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has 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.
Iran has denied violating the ceasefire. The armed forces general staff denied that there had been any launch of missiles towards Israel in recent hours, Iran's Nour News reported.
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!"
Both Israel and Iran had confirmed the ceasefire after it was announced by Trump.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said 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 defence and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat," Netanyahu had said.
Iran says its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran's top security body, the Supreme National Security Council, said its military had forced Israel to "unilaterally accept defeat and accept a ceasefire".
Iran's forces would "keep their hands on the trigger" to respond to "any act of aggression by the enemy", it said.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had earlier 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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