IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT

The ceasefire between Israel and Iran, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, appears to be largely holding after a turbulent beginning, while Israeli forces continue their operations in Gaza, resulting in at least 31 Palestinian fatalities since midnight.

The truce, which came into effect late Monday following days of intense missile exchanges, showed early signs of strain. President Trump publicly expressed frustration, accusing Israel of undermining the deal shortly after its announcement. From the White House South Lawn, Trump stated, “Iran violated the ceasefire, but Israel violated it too. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.” He added, “I’ve got to get Israel to calm down. Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before.” This unusually public display of anger by the U.S. leader included a Truth Social post urging, “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later indicated that Israel conducted one more attack near Tehran after Trump’s appeal but would refrain from “further strikes.” Iran, for its part, denied launching any missiles and claimed Israeli attacks continued beyond the ceasefire start time, though its foreign minister stated the country would not fire if it was not fired upon, with a “final decision on the cessation of our military operations” pending. Despite these initial tensions, missile and drone activity between Israel and Iran remained silent later Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the White House has refuted an intelligence report suggesting that U.S. bombings of Iran’s nuclear sites did not completely destroy the facilities and only set the program back by a few months.

Both Israel and Iran have declared victory in the 12-day conflict. Iranians held celebrations in Tehran, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed a triumph that would endure for generations.

Tragically, casualty figures continue to mount. Iran reports at least 610 people, including 13 children, have been killed, and over 3,056 wounded since Israel launched its attack on June 13. In Israel, at least 28 people have been killed in Iranian strikes. Separately, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza have resulted in at least 56,077 deaths and 131,848 wounded. This follows the October 7 attacks in Israel, which killed an estimated 1,139 people and saw over 200 taken captive.