Iran-Israel Conflict: Hours before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was set to take effect, Israel launched a major airstrike deep inside Tehran – targeting what it described as regime strongholds and killing what it claimed were hundreds of Basij and Iranian security personnel. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the strike took place around 3:00 a.m. local time – four hours before the 7:00 a.m. ceasefire deadline – raising serious concerns over the timing and intent of the operation.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, the Israeli government stated, “The ceasefire was set for 07:00 this morning. At 03:00, Israel forcefully attacked in the heart of Tehran, struck regime targets and eliminated hundreds of Basij and Iranian security forces personnel.”
The statement also claimed that shortly before the ceasefire was due to begin, Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward Israeli territory, one of which resulted in the deaths of four civilians in Be’er Sheva.
Following these developments, the Prime Minister’s Office said that despite the ceasefire being in effect, Iran continued its missile activity, with a single missile launch at 7:06 a.m. and two more at 10:25 a.m.
The Israeli Air Force responded to what it called ceasefire violations by destroying a radar installation near Tehran later that morning.
The sequence of events has come under intense international scrutiny, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump, who had earlier in the day announced that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire”, expressed strong disapproval of the Israeli airstrikes.
In a public post on Truth Social, he wrote, “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
Speaking to the media later, he confirmed that the ceasefire was indeed being violated by both sides and warned of serious consequences.
According to the Israeli government, the airstrike had been planned in response to ongoing security threats and intelligence reports indicating imminent action by Iranian forces.
However, critics and observers have raised questions about the necessity of such a large-scale assault just hours before a declared ceasefire, especially considering the potential risk to civilians in the densely populated capital of Iran.
Iran has yet to provide an official death toll from the Tehran strike, and while it has acknowledged retaliatory missile launches, it maintains that its actions were a direct response to Israeli aggression. Tehran also accused Tel Aviv of undermining the ceasefire agreement before it had even come into effect.
The sequence of attacks and counterattacks has intensified diplomatic tensions and cast doubt on the viability of the ceasefire announced by Washington. Although the Israeli government has claimed that it refrained from further strikes following the conversation between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump, the damage – both physical and diplomatic – appears to have already been done.
While the Israeli military remains on alert and Iran continues to signal readiness to retaliate, international actors have called for restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement.
The United Nations and European Union have both expressed concern over the timing and scale of the pre-ceasefire operations, urging all parties to avoid further escalation. As the situation remains volatile, the focus now shifts to whether the ceasefire can hold or whether the latest airstrike has dealt a fatal blow to hopes of de-escalation.
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