Uncertainty hangs over the status of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran : NPR
Israeli emergency services and security agents are looking for losses in the rubble of a building struck by an Iranian missile in Beersheba in southern Israel on June 24, 2025.
John Wessels / AFP via Getty Images
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John Wessels / AFP via Getty Images
Israel and Iran said they had accepted a cease-fire on Tuesday, following President Trump’s announcement that the countries at war had agreed to stop fighting.
But the future of such a cease-fire was immediately discussed because reports persisted on Tuesday morning new air strikes in Israel. Shortly after this information, the Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz announced that he had ordered the Israeli army to “forcefully respond” to what he called Iranian air strikes. Iran denied having dismissed a missile in violation of the ceasefire, according to the diffuser of the Iranian state Irib.
The Iranian state media reported its agreement to the ceasefire earlier on Tuesday, and the office of the Israeli Prime Minister followed with a declaration that she also agreed.
The tenuous ceasefire occurs more than a week and a half after Israel launched its attack on Iran, leading to fatal exchanges of missiles and drone dams between them and threatening to draw the Middle East-and the United States-in a wider war. He occurs a few days after the United States bombed Iranian nuclear installations.
“Given the objectives of the operation achieved and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel accepted the president’s proposal for a bilateral cease-fire,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement.
Before the Israeli statement, Trump wrote on social networks in all the ceilings: “The ceasefire is now in force. Please do not violate it!”
Earlier in the morning, Iranian state television said Tehran “imposed” a ceasefire on “the Zionist enemy”. The Iranian government does not officially recognize Israel as a state.
Israel and Iran exchanged attacks until the last moments when the ceasefire was to start, causing victims, according to Iranian media and Israeli emergency services.
The final number of deaths of the war is not immediately clear. During the weekend, the Iranian Ministry of Health said that 430 civilians had been killed by the strikes of Israel in Iran. A group of independent activists called for the news agency for human rights activists counted 974 total deaths because it also included 268 Iranian soldiers.
According to the Israeli government, the recent dams have caused new deaths.
Trump first said on Monday that Israel and Iran accepted a cease-fire that could lead to the end of the war between the two countries.
Shortly after, Vice-President Vance, speaking on Fox News, said Trump wanted to work on a “long-term regulation” between Iran and Israel.
“I think the Iranians are in a place where they do not want to continue to fight,” said Vance in the interview.
Earlier on Monday, the Iranian press agency, Tasnim, said that Tehran had launched missile attacks against the American bases in Qatar and Iraq. The US central command said that American and Qatari forces have managed to intercept the Iranian missiles targeting air base.
Trump said on social networks that US officials had been warned in advance by Iran of strikes.
Hadeel Al-Shalchi of NPR contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, in Israel.
