The fragile truce announced by former U.S. President Donald Trump between Israel and Iran is already under strain, as Israel accused Tehran of violating the cease-fire with a fresh barrage of missiles. The accusation came only hours after both sides had cautiously agreed to halt hostilities, raising immediate doubts about whether the deal would hold. Iran, however, flatly denied launching any new attacks, deepening confusion and leaving the international community uncertain about the future of the agreement.
Trump unveiled the truce late Monday night, just before the start of a NATO summit. The move was widely seen as an opportunity for him to claim a diplomatic victory on the global stage. The cease-fire was intended to end 12 days of some of the most intense fighting ever witnessed between Israel and Iran—two bitter rivals locked in escalating military exchanges. In its early hours, the deal appeared to bring a tentative calm, but events quickly showed how delicate the arrangement really was.
The Israeli military claimed that within hours of the agreement, Iranian forces fired yet another barrage of missiles toward Israeli cities, triggering sirens and sending millions of civilians racing to bomb shelters once again. According to Israel, at least four civilians were killed when one missile struck an apartment building in Beersheba, a city in southern Israel. Israel also reported that its forces struck several missile launchers in western Iran that it said were being prepared for further attacks.
Iran, through its state-run media, strongly rejected these claims, insisting that no missiles were fired after the truce was supposed to have taken effect. Officials in Tehran accused Israel of fabricating the allegations in order to justify continued military operations. “We have honored the agreement,” one Iranian statement read, adding that it was Israel that appeared unwilling to embrace peace. The conflicting accounts created a fog of uncertainty over what exactly had happened in the crucial hours following the announcement.
Despite the accusations, for a brief window on Tuesday morning, life in Israel seemed to be returning to a semblance of normalcy. Around 7:30 a.m., the Israeli military lifted its emergency orders and allowed people to leave bomb shelters, suggesting that the threat level had diminished. Shortly after, Trump formally declared that the cease-fire was in force. In his characteristically blunt style, he urged both sides not to break the deal, posting, “PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”
Yet hesitation was evident. The Israeli government refrained from immediately celebrating the truce. Historically, Israel has waited during the fragile early hours of cease-fires to assess whether the calm will hold before officially recognizing an end to hostilities. At 9 a.m. local time, Israel finally issued a statement acknowledging the truce, declaring that it had met its military objectives in Iran and emphasizing that the decision was reached “in full coordination with President Trump.” Iranian officials also framed the truce as a victory, portraying their survival against Israeli airstrikes and missile defense as proof of their military strength.
But the fragile calm was short-lived. By late morning, air raid sirens sounded once more, this time in northern Israel. The Israeli military reported that missiles had been launched from Iran, violating the terms of the cease-fire only hours after it was established. In a stern statement, Israel’s military vowed to respond “with force” if the attacks continued. This immediate breakdown underscored just how tenuous the truce was and how quickly the region could slide back into chaos.
The backdrop of the NATO summit added another layer of complexity. Trump’s surprise announcement of the truce reportedly caught some of his own officials off guard, leaving diplomats scrambling to understand the details and ensure that allies were informed. For Trump, however, the timing was strategic: a cease-fire announcement on the eve of a high-profile international gathering offered the chance to present himself as a peacemaker capable of ending one of the Middle East’s most volatile conflicts. Whether that narrative holds now seems questionable.
The conflict itself had already taken a devastating toll. In less than two weeks, Iran launched at least four major barrages of ballistic missiles toward Israel, forcing millions to repeatedly seek refuge in shelters. Israel, in turn, conducted a series of strikes deep into Iranian territory, targeting what it described as missile sites and command centers. Civilian casualties mounted on both sides, and the psychological strain on ordinary citizens grew with each passing day of bombardment.
For Israelis, Tuesday morning’s moment of calm was fleeting. Families emerged from shelters, children prepared for school, and businesses tentatively reopened—only for the sound of sirens to return hours later. For Iranians, the government’s insistence that it had not broken the truce clashed with reports of new rocket launches, leaving ordinary citizens equally uncertain about what was truly unfolding.
Diplomatic observers say the entire episode highlights both the volatility of the Israel-Iran rivalry and the limitations of external mediation. While Trump’s announcement momentarily shifted headlines and brought cautious optimism, the quick unraveling of the cease-fire suggests that neither side was fully ready to de-escalate. Analysts warn that unless deeper negotiations occur and verifiable mechanisms are put in place, any pause in fighting is likely to be short-lived.
By the end of the day, the situation remained dangerously unstable. Israel continued to accuse Iran of violating the cease-fire, while Iran insisted it had respected the deal. Both governments, however, claimed victory, each presenting the truce as evidence of their own strength. For the civilians caught in the crossfire, those declarations meant little. The fear of renewed missile fire hung heavy in the air, and the brief hope of peace felt once again like a distant illusion.