Israeli rescuers said on Tuesday that three people were killed in an Iranian strike, as Tehran’s state media reported new waves of missiles heading for Israel after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the two Middle East foes.
Neither Iran nor Israel has confirmed the agreement touted by Trump on ending the conflict that has killed hundreds in Iran and two dozen in Israel.
The US leader had said the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world,” he said, adding that both sides had agreed to remain “peaceful and respectful” during each phase of the process.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that “as of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on ceasefire or cessation of military operations.”
“However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he said on social media.
But Israel’s army said sirens were activated in northern Israel — where moments before Iran’s state media Irib reported a wave of missiles were headed.
Israeli emergency services also reported casualties in an Iranian missile strike in southern Israel.
“Following the missile impact site in southern Israel: So far, MDA teams have pronounced the deaths of three people,” Magen David Adom said in a statement on X.
Explosions also continued to rock Tehran overnight, with blasts in the north and centre of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.
Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting a wider conflagration.
The adversaries had been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise “preemptive” strikes against Iran on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites, and prompting Trump to warn of a possible “massive” regional conflict.
The US leader’s truce announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East — Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — in a move Trump shrugged off as “very weak.”