Iran’s military has denied that it fired missiles at Israel hours after a ceasefire proposed by President Donald Trump began, Iranian state television reported.
The report cited the general staff of Iran’s armed forces, which includes its regular military and its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Israel reported missile fire some two and a half hours after the ceasefire began. Israeli officials have ordered a strike on Iran in response, though there’s no immediate report of an attack there.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Iran had “completely violated” the ceasefire between Israel and Iran by launching missiles more than two hours after the ceasefire came into effect on Tuesday.
Katz said he instructed the Israeli military to resume targeting Iranian paramilitary and government targets in Tehran. According to Israel’s emergency services, there were no injuries in the missiles launched towards Israel after the ceasefire started, reports AP.
Overnight, just before the ceasefire started, Israel launched more than 100 munitions targeting dozens of sites in Tehran, including missile launchers.
Drones attacked military bases in Iraq overnight, including some housing US troops, the Iraqi army and a US military official said Tuesday.
Iraqi army spokesperson Sabah Al-Naaman in a statement called the attacks a “treacherous and cowardly act of aggression” and said they had damaged radar systems at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, and at Imam Ali Base in Dhi Qar province. Iraqi forces shot down drones at other locations, he said.
A senior US military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, said American forces had shot down drones attacking Ain al-Assad in the desert of western Iraq and at a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed. No casualties were reported and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target American bases if the US attacked Iran. On Monday, initial reports of an attack on Ain al-Assad base had turned out to be a false alarm triggered by debris from a malfunctioning Iranian missile targeting Israel.
Across the Persian Gulf, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said it summoned Iran’s ambassador to the country and stressed that Monday’s attack on a US military base there was a violation of international law and Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it affirmed that it “reserves the right to respond to this blatant violation in accordance with international law.”
Egypt said in a statement Tuesday morning that it welcomes US President Donald Trump’s announcement of reaching a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. “It is a critical point into ending this conflict between both countries and restoring peace in the region,” the statement read.
Egypt called upon the countries to fully abide by the ceasefire and practice full restraint.
Saudi Arabia also welcomed Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire, though the hopeful statement came as the agreement was faltering. “The Kingdom looks forward to all parties committing to de-escalation in the coming period,” Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said.