Israel reported three fatalities on Tuesday morning following a wave of Iranian missile attacks, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that both countries had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire."
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency services confirmed that at least three people were killed and eight others injured in the early morning barrage. A residential building in southern Israel suffered severe damage, according to first responders.
Despite Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire, the situation remained uncertain as hostilities continued into Tuesday. His statement followed Iran's limited missile strike on a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, carried out in retaliation for American airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran would cease its attacks provided Israel halted its military operations by 4 a.m. local time Tuesday. However, shortly after that deadline, the Israeli military warned that Iran had launched missiles towards Israeli territory, triggering sirens across several areas.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing at least one missile intercepted over Jerusalem's skies, with additional warnings of further incoming attacks as daylight approached.
An image released by Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services showed significant damage to what appeared to be a seven-story residential building in southern Israel, its facade completely destroyed.
Iran denies any ceasefire agreement with Israel at present
It remains unclear how the ongoing missile launches will affect the ceasefire timeline. Trump’s statement on his Truth Social platform said the ceasefire was set to take effect around midnight Tuesday U.S. Eastern time, claiming it would mark an “Official END” to the war.
Israel has yet to officially acknowledge any ceasefire agreement but appeared to pause its strikes on Iranian territory after 4 a.m. local time. Prior to that, heavy Israeli attacks had been reported in Tehran and other cities, with military activity tapering off shortly before the deadline. Israel has previously escalated its offensives just ahead of ceasefire deals.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi emphasized that there was no formal ceasefire agreement at present, writing on X, “As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.” He reiterated that Iran would not continue its military response if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression” by the stated deadline.
His statement, posted at 4:16 a.m. Tehran time, added, “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”
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The Israeli military declined to comment on Trump’s ceasefire declaration, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has not responded to media inquiries.
Source: agency