President Donald Trump’s bold ceasefire between Israel and Iran is teetering on the edge of collapse. On Tuesday, Trump announced a hard-won truce to halt a 12-day conflict, only for both sides to point fingers over violations within hours.
CBS News reported that the conflict, sparked on June 13, 2025, saw Israel hammer Iranian nuclear and military sites, killing top officials, while Iran’s retaliatory strikes claimed 28 Israeli lives.
Israel’s attacks left 974 dead in Iran, including 387 civilians, per Human Rights Activists. Trump’s ceasefire, brokered with Qatar’s help, aimed to end the carnage but stumbled fast.
Israel struck Tehran at 3 a.m. local time on June 24, 2025, targeting regime assets before the ceasefire kicked in, killing hundreds of Iranian forces.
Iran’s state media claimed compliance after launching strikes, but Israel reported Iranian missiles flying post-ceasefire at 7:06 a.m. and 10:25 a.m. local time. Both sides cry foul, and the truth is murky.
Trump took to Truth Social, demanding Israel halt attacks: “DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS.” He claimed Israel complied, pulling warplanes back, but Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered continued strikes on Tehran, citing Iran’s “complete violation.” So much for unity—Katz’s defiance undercuts Trump’s deal.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi played coy, saying Iran would respect the truce only if Israel stopped by 4 a.m. Tehran time.
Yet Israel reported missiles launched from Iran at 3:30 a.m. ET, intercepted without casualties. Iran’s Press TV denied post-ceasefire launches, leaving everyone guessing who’s lying.
The ceasefire’s terms were clear: Iran halts strikes at midnight ET, Israel stops at noon ET, and the war ends by midnight June 25, 2025. But hours in, sirens blared in northern Israel, and a radar array near Tehran was obliterated by Israeli forces. This isn’t peace—it’s a pause with a short fuse.
Trump, speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was “exceptionally firm” about sustaining the ceasefire, per a White House source.
He told reporters on Air Force One he opposes regime change in Iran, a rare moment of restraint. But his frustration boiled over: “They don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
Israel’s government agreed to the ceasefire but vowed a fierce response to violations. Netanyahu’s office blamed Iran for a pre-ceasefire missile that killed four in Beersheba. Iran’s “devastating” missile barrage, as they called it, feels more like posturing than progress.
The U.S. isn’t unscathed—strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites prompted Iran to fire missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar on June 23, 2025, though most were intercepted.
Trump called Iran’s attack “very weak,” thanking them for the early notice that saved lives. Classic Trump: turning a crisis into a backhanded compliment.
Iraq’s military bases, including Camp Taji, were hit by drones on June 24, 2025, damaging radar but causing no casualties. Iraqi forces intercepted other drones, while U.S. bases like Ain al-Assad fended off attacks. Iran-backed militias in Iraq, itching for a fight, likely saw the ceasefire as their cue to stir trouble.
IAEA Director Rafael Grossi welcomed the ceasefire, urging Iran to cooperate with nuclear inspections. His optimism feels like a lone bright spot in a mess of broken promises.
Trump’s exasperation was palpable as he told reporters both sides violated the truce, though “not intentionally.” He’s not happy with Israel or Iran, and who can blame him? Decades of bad blood don’t vanish with a single handshake.
Israel’s strikes have decimated Iranian forces, but at a cost: 974 lives, nearly 400 civilians. Iran’s counterattacks, killing 28 in Israel, show they’re not backing down. This ceasefire, meant to end a 12-day war, feels like a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.
Trump’s Truth Social posts paint a rosy picture: “All planes will turn around and head home.” Yet Katz’s orders to keep hitting Tehran suggest Israel’s not ready to wave the white flag. The disconnect between Trump’s optimism and Israel’s aggression is glaring.
