WEB DESK: Reports of explosions echoed through Tehran on Tuesday, amid Israeli airstrikes, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that Israel had halted its offensive at his behest to maintain a fragile ceasefire.
Witnesses in the Iranian capital reported hearing two loud blasts. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israel targeted a radar installation near Tehran, claiming it was retaliation for Iranian missile launches that occurred approximately three and a half hours after the intended start of the ceasefire. The statement indicated that Israel decided to hold back from further attacks following a phone call between Netanyahu and Trump, although it was unclear whether the strike on the radar site happened before or after their conversation.
Global markets responded positively, with oil prices dropping and stock exchanges rallying amid hopes that the region’s largest conflict—escalating between Middle Eastern rivals—might be drawing to a close. This development eased concerns over potential disruptions to Gulf oil supplies.While en route to a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump publicly reprimanded Israel with an expletive, in a rare outburst towards an ally whose military campaign he had publicly supported just days earlier. “All aircraft will return home, giving a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. No harm will come—ceasefire is in effect!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
In a previous message, he urged Israel, “Do not drop those bombs. If you do, it’s a serious violation. Bring your pilots back now!” Before leaving the White House, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with both sides over their ceasefire violations, expressing particular disappointment with Israel, which he accused of “unloading” shortly after reaching an agreement.
“I need to get Israel to calm down,” Trump told reporters, criticizing the prolonged conflict. He remarked, “Iran and Israel have been fighting so fiercely that they seem to have lost their way.”
According to an Axios reporter, Netanyahu conveyed to Trump that Israel would scale back its bombing campaign instead of canceling it altogether. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to target sites in Tehran in response to what he described as Iranian missile fire in clear violation of the ceasefire. Iran denied launching any missiles and claimed that Israeli attacks continued for about ninety minutes beyond the scheduled start of the truce.
Despite initial reports of violations, both nations expressed a cautious optimism that a way out of the conflict was emerging, nearly two weeks after Israel launched a surprise assault and days after Trump joined in with strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Reza Sharifi, 38, returning to Tehran from Rasht by the Caspian Sea, said, “We’re very relieved. Who mediated or how it happened doesn’t matter. The war is over. It should never have started in the first place.”
Meanwhile, Arik Daimant, a software engineer in Tel Aviv, shared, “It’s a bit late for my family and me, as our home was destroyed in last Sunday’s bombings. But better late than never—I hope this ceasefire marks a new beginning.”
On Air Force One, Trump told reporters he did not want to see Iran’s government overthrown. “I don’t want regime change; I want calm. Chaos only breeds more chaos, and that’s what we want to avoid,” he explained. He also expressed confidence that Iran would not pursue nuclear weapons, calling it “the last thing on their mind right now.”
In the hours leading up to the ceasefire, Iranian missiles struck a residential building in Beersheba, southern Israel, killing four civilians, according to Israeli emergency services. Iran countered with an attack on a civilian structure in northern Iran, which reportedly resulted in nine casualties.
Israel’s surprise offensive on June 13 targeted Iranian nuclear facilities and eliminated high-ranking Iranian military officials, marking the most severe threat faced by Iran since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. Israel maintained it might topple Iran’s clerical regime if necessary, while Iran insists its nuclear program is purely peaceful and denies efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
Iranian officials have claimed hundreds of casualties from airstrikes, though independent verification remains limited due to tight media controls. Retaliatory missile attacks have killed 28 Israelis, representing the first significant penetration of Iranian missiles into Israeli defenses.
A senior White House official stated that Trump facilitated the ceasefire in negotiations with Netanyahu, with other U.S. officials engaging with Iran. Reuters reported that Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani played a key role in securing Tehran’s agreement during a call with Iranian officials.
The ceasefire was announced shortly after Iran responded to U.S.-backed airstrikes by launching a volley of missiles at a major U.S. military base in Qatar. Fortunately, no injuries resulted, and Iran’s retaliation appeared to be carefully calibrated to de-escalate tensions. Trump acknowledged Iran’s advance warning, thanking Tehran for preventing potential casualties
