Israel announced early Tuesday that it would retaliate, claiming Iran breached the terms of a US-brokered ceasefire just as it was set to take effect.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated on a social platform that the country would “respond vigorously” to what they see as Iran’s violation, threatening a strong strike against a key target within Tehran.
“The Iranian regime has seriously breached the ceasefire declared by the US President, launching missiles at Israel, and we will respond harshly in line with our government’s established policies,” he explained.
While Iranian forces reportedly did not launch missiles at Israel, Israeli military officials mentioned that they intercepted two Iranian missiles; sirens were activated in regions beyond Israel on Monday, according to the Israeli Defense Force.
Former President Trump criticized both Iran and Israel for not adhering to the ceasefire agreement, stating in the morning that Iran “violated it, but Israel violated it too.” He expressed discontent with Israel’s stance.
In a warning posted on his social media, Trump cautioned Israel against retaliation. “Israel, don’t drop those bombs. If you do, that’s a major violation. Bring the pilot home!” he said, shortly before he left for the NATO summit in Holland.
Just under an hour later, Trump seemed to affirm that Israel would not launch any attacks, declaring the ceasefire still held. “Israel is not going to attack Iran. All planes will return home,” he later wrote in a post.
The ceasefire was established on Monday following a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel over the previous weekend.
The former president urged Iran to pursue peaceful actions but also warned that the US could respond again if Iran retaliated significantly after the US strike.
