A ceasefire between Iran and Israel remained fragile on Tuesday, just hours after it took effect, following 12 days of relentless missile barrages, air raids, and drone strikes.
Despite the truce, Israeli forces reportedly launched fresh airstrikes near Tehran, raising concerns over the ceasefire’s durability and drawing renewed scrutiny of regional de-escalation efforts.
The ceasefire agreement, brokered under the intervention of US President Donald Trump, came after nearly two weeks of heavy cross-border violence that has left both nations on edge.
While the truce marked a temporary pause in hostilities, it was quickly overshadowed by reports of renewed Israeli aggression and accusations of violations from both sides.
Iranian officials reported that 610 people, including 13 children, have been killed since Israel began its bombing campaign on June 13.
Over 4,700 others have been wounded, with many casualties occurring in densely populated areas.
Civilian infrastructure — including hospitals, schools, and residential neighborhoods — has reportedly sustained significant damage, triggering widespread international condemnation.
Israel, meanwhile, has reported 28 fatalities, the majority caused by Iranian missile strikes targeting southern regions such as Beersheba.
Among the dead were four civilians killed when a missile struck a sheltering site, according to Israeli emergency services.
Ceasefire under fire
The truce, announced unilaterally by Trump, required Iran to cease military operations at 4:00 GMT on Tuesday, with Israel following 12 hours later.
Yet at dawn, Iranian state media reported explosions near Babolsar, north of Tehran, later confirmed by Israel as a strike on a radar installation.
Tehran categorically denied launching missiles post-ceasefire, labeling Israel’s justification a “fabrication to mask its addiction to violence.”
Iran’s Security Council affirmed its forces remained “on high alert,” warning of “decisive responses to any further adventures.”
Nuclear rebirth
Despite US claims of “neutralizing” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami vowed to accelerate reconstruction of Fordow and Natanz facilities: “Our peaceful nuclear program is Iran’s sovereign right. These sites will rise more advanced than before.”
The pledge contradicts US intelligence assessments admitting Iran had no active weapons program pre-strikes — a fact underscored by UN experts condemning the attacks as illegal.
Global reactions
Qatar emerged as the ceasefire’s unsung architect, with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani personally securing Tehran’s agreement hours after Iran retaliated against the US Al-Udeid base in Qatar.
While Doha condemned the base attack as a “sovereignty violation,” it acknowledged Iran’s “self-defense rationale.”
Russia cautiously welcomed the truce but denied receiving Khamenei’s alleged request for military aid.
China urged “restraint,” implicitly criticizing US-Israeli aggression while affirming Iran’s trade partnerships.
UN experts reiterated strikes on nuclear sites violated international law, noting Israel’s “broader pattern of unilateral violence” linking Gaza to Tehran.
Ripple effects
The conflict’s ripple effects intensified globally:
Afghanistan reported spiking food prices and 10,000 daily Afghan returnees from Iran, straining Taliban resources.
India evacuated medical students from Iran while urging dialogue, reflecting non-Western powers’ cautious neutrality.
Palestine remained central to regional anger, with commentators noting Israel’s Iran offensive conveniently masked its ongoing Gaza genocide.
The crisis traces to Israel’s June 13 surprise attack — a violation of the UN Charter’s Article 2(4) prohibiting territorial aggression.
UN experts emphasized that even self-defense must adhere to proportionality, a standard Israel ignored by targeting nuclear sites and civilian areas.
Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, in contrast, focused solely on military infrastructure, demonstrating its adherence to international norms under duress.
In Tehran, residents described scrambling for shelter as Israeli jets resumed strikes at dawn.
“We trusted the ceasefire, but the sirens returned — like they always do when Israel feels unchecked,” said schoolteacher Parvaneh Mohammadi.
Yet defiance tempered fear, with graffiti near the bombed Isfahan nuclear facility reading: “They broke our centrifuges, not our will.”
Return to enrichment?
Tehran has also signaled it will resume its civilian nuclear enrichment activities, suspended earlier as a gesture toward diplomacy.
Iranian officials stressed that the resumption remains within peaceful bounds and under IAEA oversight, yet the move has drawn alarm from Western powers still reeling from the recent attacks.
Israel and the US continue to cite Iran’s nuclear progress as the central justification for military action.
Yet both the International Atomic Energy Agency and American intelligence, prior to the June 13 escalation, found no evidence that Iran was seeking a weapon.
Critics argue that Israel’s claims are exaggerated and designed to preempt future negotiations.
While Trump claimed Iran would “never rebuild” its nuclear program, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s office released a terse statement: “The era of Western atomic monopolies ended with our scientists’ blood. We define our future.”
With Russia’s Vladimir Putin hosting Iran’s foreign minister this week, and Qatar pledging ongoing mediation, the ceasefire’s survival hinges on one unaddressed truth: as Middle East Eye observed: “Iranians own their homeland — and no bombardment will erase 7,000 years of resolve.”
