DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A tenuous ceasefire between Iran and Israel remained intact Tuesday despite early violations, following a volatile 12-day conflict that saw airstrikes, retaliatory missile launches, and mounting global concern.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the fragility of the truce, expressing frustration with both nations.
“They’ve been fighting for so long and so hard they don’t even know what they’re doing,” he said prior to departing for a NATO summit.
Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming his country had severely damaged Iran’s nuclear capabilities, a preliminary assessment by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency suggested otherwise. According to sources familiar with the report, the Iranian program has only been delayed by a few months—not “obliterated” as Trump previously declared. The White House rejected this assessment as “flat-out wrong.”
Ceasefire Tested by Missile Launches, Retaliation
Following the announcement of the ceasefire, Iran was accused of firing missiles into Israeli airspace, prompting Israeli officials to vow retaliation. However, Iran’s military denied the accusations, even as explosions and air raid sirens rang out across northern Israel.
An Israeli military source confirmed two missiles were intercepted, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened a fierce response, stating that “Tehran will tremble.”
Trump, in a notably mixed message, initially accused both sides of breaking the agreement. But he later declared that the ceasefire was saved, posting on Truth Social:
“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!”
According to Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader halted further military action after a conversation with Trump, who urged restraint and emphasized diplomacy.
Iran Calls for Dialogue
Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, addressed the UN Security Council, asserting that Iran had emerged “proud and steadfast” despite the military aggression.
“This proves one simple truth more clearly than ever: diplomacy and dialogue are the only path to resolving the unnecessary crisis over Iran’s peaceful program,” he said.
Iran has long claimed that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, while Israel has argued that Tehran was nearing the capability to build atomic weapons.
U.S. Military Strikes and Diplomatic Push
The conflict escalated significantly after U.S. airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities using bunker-buster bombs. The U.S. stated that the action was necessary to neutralize an imminent threat, but the move drew sharp criticism from China, Iran’s largest trading partner, which warned of a “spiral of escalations.”
Following Iran’s limited retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, Trump reportedly called Netanyahu to urge a diplomatic path, signaling that the U.S. would not launch further strikes.
An extended conflict could have broader repercussions, especially if Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route. Trump later said the ceasefire would help ensure continued oil flows, allowing countries like China to keep importing Iranian crude.
