Israeli defence minister orders high-intensity attacks on Iran after ceasefire 'violation'

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he has ordered the country's military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran's violation of a ceasefire with Israel.

The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel.

Less than three hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had said that the ceasefire was now in effect. Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.


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Although, Iran's state news agency ISNA, has denied reports of a missile attack on Israel, calling the claims "false."

Earlier today, Israel and Iran accepted Trump's ceasefire plan to end their 12-day war that roiled the Middle East, after Tehran launched a limited, retaliatory missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar.

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The ceasefire that has now been breached followed American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. In response, Iran launched missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military site in the region. Iran is reported to have given prior warning to reduce potential damage. Al Udeid hosts around 10,000 U.S. troops and serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Central Command.

While making the announcement, the US President said that the ceasefire would not take full effect immediately, as ongoing missions were being completed.

Vice President JD Vance later said the conflict now seemed "effectively over" and suggested there was room to "restart a real peace process."

Qatari officials reportedly played a central role in brokering the deal. Acting on behalf of the Trump administration, they reportedly convinced Iran to accept the terms of a proposed ceasefire after learning that Israel had also agreed.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran's agreement during a call with Iranian officials, news agency Reuters reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had hinted days earlier that an end to the fighting could be near. On Sunday, he stated that Israel was “very, very close” to meeting its military objectives but gave no timeline for the conflict’s conclusion.

European foreign ministers met to assess the situation. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s chief diplomat, noted, “The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge.”

(With agency inputs)