Did Iran-Israel call a truce? Unravelling a day of ceasefires and shots fired

The Middle East witnessed a dangerous spiral of tit-for-tat military exchanges between Iran and Israel in less than 24 hours, beginning with Iran’s surprise missile attack on US military bases in Qatar and culminating in Israeli strikes near Tehran—even after ceasefire announcements were made by both sides.

The fast-moving conflict unfolded amid high-stakes diplomacy, especially by President Donald Trump who announced a ceasefire twice (which were broken reportedly twice), and global appeals for de-escalation.

So, who did what and when? Here is a layout of a day of military and diplomatic actions (and denials) that has left many in a haze.

Iran fires first, Israel hits back

On late Monday night (IST), Iran launched ballistic missiles at US military installations in Qatar. This marked the retaliatory salvo in a dramatic escalation after the Trump administration attacked three major nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday night.

Within hours of the Iranian strike, Israel retaliated with precision strikes across Iranian territory.

Trump steps in with surprise peace claim

As international concern grew, US President Donald Trump announced a 12-day peace agreement had been brokered between Israel and Iran.

The declaration was met with skepticism, particularly from Iran’s Foreign Minister, who said Tehran would only stop attacks if Israel ceased airstrikes by 4 AM local time, and insisted no formal deal was in place.

Ceasefire declared—then broken

Despite Trump’s ceasefire pronouncement, Israel launched another wave of strikes minutes later, this time hitting residential buildings in Iran’s Gilan province, reportedly killing nine people.

Iran retaliated with multiple missile salvos targeting Israeli cities—including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Beersheba. At least seven Israelis were killed and a dozen injured in a strike on Beersheba alone.

Throughout the morning on Tuesday (IST), six distinct waves of Iranian missile launches were recorded, prompting widespread air raid sirens and civilian evacuations across Israel.

Meanwhile, Iranian state TV announced a ceasefire, but missiles continued to fly. Both Israeli and US reported ongoing attacks, suggesting that Tehran had not fully halted its offensive.

Fresh Israeli strikes on Tehran after ceasefire

After further missile detections hours into the declared ceasefire, Israel’s Defense Minister ordered “high-intensity strikes” on targets inside Tehran, citing Iran’s violation of the truce.

Iran, for its part, denied launching any missiles after the ceasefire took effect, and accused Israel of continuing its bombardments until 9 AM Tehran time.

Trump urges restraint, Netanyahu pushes back

In a flurry of posts on Truth Social, Trump appealed to Israel to halt further attacks, writing, “BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” and announcing that Israeli jets would abort their missions mid-air and perform a “friendly plane wave” toward Iran.

However, according to Axios, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump that the response could not be completely called off, and insisted that some retaliation was necessary.

Explosions in Tehran, Putin calls Trump

As Tuesday evening (IST) approached, Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran and the country’s north, while Israeli Army Radio confirmed strikes on a radar site near the Iranian capital.

Adding to the diplomatic swirl, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly called Trump and offered to mediate the crisis.

Latest Development: Israel halts further strikes

By around 5 PM India time on Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that, following Trump’s direct call with Netanyahu, Israel refrained from launching further strikes.

The situation, while momentarily paused, remains highly volatile. Despite a declared ceasefire, both sides accuse each other of violations, and mutual distrust lingers.

Here is an easier breakdown of the timeline

• Iran attacks US bases in Qatar.
• Israel retaliates hours later, striking targets inside Iran.
• Trump announces a 12-day ceasefire deal between Iran and Israel.
• Israel strikes Iran again, killing 9 in Gilan province.
• Iran launches multiple missile waves on Israel, killing 7 in Beersheba and injuring 12—minutes to hours after Trump’s announcement.
• Iranian state TV declares ceasefire, but missiles continue.
• Israel reports more missile launched by Iran, orders civilians into shelters.
• Israel strikes Tehran again, accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire.
• Iran denies fresh launches, accuses Israel of continuing attacks until 9 AM Tehran time.
• Trump urges restraint, tells Israel to “bring your pilots home”.
• Explosions reported in Tehran and northern Iran.
• Israeli military confirms strikes on Iranian radar.
• Putin offers to mediate. Israel says it has halted missiles post conversationt with Trump.