Key Points and Summary: A ceasefire between Israel and Iran, personally announced by President Donald Trump on Monday, June 23rd, collapsed in less than 24 hours amid mutual accusations.
-Iran reportedly broke the agreement first, launching a missile barrage that killed at least four civilians in Beersheba shortly before and within two hours after the ceasefire was set to begin.
-Israel retaliated on Tuesday morning with airstrikes near Tehran.
-An audibly frustrated Trump publicly slammed both sides for being unable to stop fighting, saying they “don’t know what the f— they’re doing,” before reportedly calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urge his forces to stand down.
Iran vs. Israel: Who Broke the Ceasefire? A Timeline
U.S. President Donald Trump excoriated Tehran and Tel Aviv on Tuesday, June 24, slamming both countries for apparently breaking the ceasefire deal announced on Monday evening.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One, the president was visibly frustrated that the ceasefire had already been broken.
“We have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the **** they’re doing,” Trump said.
The shocking footage quickly went viral, and conflicting media reports about missiles being fired in the hours before and after the ceasefire came into effect made it difficult for observers to understand who broke the agreement first.
What Iran and Israel Agreed
The agreement announced on Monday night on Truth Social by President Trump included a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, meaning all military conflict should have ended around 24 hours after the president announced the deal had been made.
The agreement was brokered by Trump and facilitated by Qatar, with its Emir and Prime Minister having acted as an intermediary between the U.S. and Iran.
Reports suggest that Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were also involved in back-channel talks.
Iran also engaged with Saudi Arabia and Oman to encourage the United States to pressure Israel to agree to the deal.
Under the agreement, Iran was to initiate a 12-hour halt in attacks, followed by Israel, which would lead to a complete end of all military conflict after 24 hours.
The deal also offered some level of flexibility on nuclear matters, with the ceasefire opening the door to possible nuclear discussions, and Iran offering to curb its enrichment of uranium in exchange for sanctions relief.
Specifically, Iran reportedly offered to cap enrichment of uranium below weapons-grade levels – though, it remains unclear what was agreed with regard to the possible reopening or construction of new nuclear facilities in Iran.
Who Broke the Ceasefire First?
Shortly before 5am Tehran time, Iran reportedly launched 20 missiles in six barrages across Israel, targeting northern, central, and southern regions.
The attacks killed at least four civilians in Beersheba and injured more than 20.
Additional salvos came within two hours after the ceasefire was expected to begin. Reports suggest that two missiles were shot down by Israel in this time.
Iran denies launching the missiles after the ceasefire came into effect, claiming that they were launched immediately before the halt order, and that they would be willing to stop firing as long as Israel stops firing back.
On the morning of Tuesday, June 24, Israeli forces responded to the strikes, effectively breaking the ceasefire for a second time. Israel launched airstrikes near Tehran, specifically targeting military infrastructure and radar systems.
Israeli officials denied being responsible for breaking the ceasefire, insisting that they were within their right to respond to Iran’s violations.
Following the retaliatory strikes, which Tel Aviv said were a necessary response to Iran’s “blatant violation” of their ceasefire deal, Israeli officials promised to resume “intense operations to attack Tehran” if the ceasefire was not respected.
The Ceasefire Is Back On, For Now
Following the strikes and President Donald Trump’s public criticism of both sides, the ceasefire now appears to be in effect.
Trump reportedly reached out to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, requesting that his forces stand down while acknowledging that Iran appears to have broken the ceasefire first.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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