Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered “intense strikes” on the Iranian capital, Tehran, after accusing Iran of violating a truce brokered by the United States and Qatar.
However, Iran denied the claim and its top security body warns Iranian security forces stand ready to respond decisively to any Israeli violations.
In a statement, Katz said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.”
Iranian state media rejected the accusations, denying any missile fire at Israel after the ceasefire was set to take effect. Iran’s Foreign Minister reiterated that Tehran would only halt its attacks if Israel did the same.
The flare-up comes after former US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Iran to end 12 days of deadly cross-border strikes. Just hours before the truce began, Iranian missiles rained down on Tehran in one of the most intense nights of the conflict so far, according to BBC Persian.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials confirmed that four civilians had been killed inside Israel during the recent escalation.
The crisis deepened further as the Israeli military reported fresh missile launches from Iran on Tuesday. “Air defence systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said in a statement, advising residents to shelter in place.
Although the exact scale of the launches remains unclear, Iran has not publicly acknowledged the strikes. Qatar, which hosts the Al Udeid US airbase, said earlier that all Iranian missiles targeting the base had been successfully intercepted.
Both sides continue to blame each other for the latest violations of the ceasefire. Amid fears of a widening regional war, international mediators have urged both countries to honour the ceasefire.