Trump Rebukes Israel After Ceasefire With Iran Collapses Within Hours
- The New York Editorial Desk - Arif
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
Brokered Truce Quickly Unravels Amid Strikes, Blame, And Confusion
Tone & Political Bias: Moderately Right-Leaning
Why: The piece centers Trump's leadership role, uses his statements extensively without much counterbalance, and reflects a framing that leans toward defending U.S. and Israeli military posture while positioning Iran as the aggressor.
What Happened
A ceasefire between Israel and Iran, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump early Tuesday morning (GMT), unraveled within hours. Despite both sides initially agreeing to halt hostilities, renewed strikes began almost immediately. Trump, who had taken personal credit for the deal, reacted sharply after reports emerged that Israeli warplanes were preparing new bombing raids.
Trump’s Reaction
Trump publicly ordered Israeli jets to abort their mission midair, calling any further attack a "major violation." He posted an all-caps message on Truth Social instructing Israel to “bring your pilots home.” After a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced that Israel had agreed to scale back the planned strike and that all planes would turn around. Still, explosions were later reported in Iran, with Israeli sources confirming a limited strike on a radar site near Tehran.
Competing Claims Over Truce Violation
Israel accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire first, saying it intercepted two ballistic missiles headed toward northern Israel just hours after the agreement. Iran denied the accusation and insisted the ceasefire had been achieved through its strong resistance following several waves of Israeli attacks. Conflicting narratives from both governments created further uncertainty about who acted first.
Escalation Before And After The Ceasefire
Before the ceasefire came into effect, Israel launched one of its most intense bombardments of Tehran to date, hitting dozens of targets including missile launchers and government facilities. Iranian media reported at least nine fatalities in northern Iran and confirmed the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Seddighi Saber.
His teenage son had been killed in a separate Israeli strike days earlier. Iran fired around 20 missiles, killing five people and injuring over twenty in the Israeli city of Beersheba.
Political Fallout
Trump harshly criticized both Iran and Israel for escalating violence, stating that the two nations had been fighting so long they no longer understood their actions. Israeli officials gave mixed signals, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warning of further retaliation, while opposition leader Yair Lapid urged the government to end the Gaza war and focus on reconstruction.
Strategic Context
The ceasefire followed a missile strike by Iran on a U.S. base in Qatar, reportedly in retaliation for American involvement in targeting Iranian nuclear sites. Iran appeared to have warned Qatar in advance, minimizing casualties and signaling a desire to prevent wider escalation. Trump’s advisers viewed this as evidence that Iran was open to stepping back from further confrontation.
Questions Over Nuclear Facility Damage
Trump claimed U.S. strikes had “totally destroyed” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated it could not verify the condition of the Fordow facility due to a lack of access. Trump aides downplayed the need for physical destruction, arguing that forcing Iran to negotiate was a sufficient outcome.
Vice President JD Vance declared that Iran was no longer capable of building a nuclear weapon with its current equipment. Talks are expected to be led by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, whose leverage may depend on the actual extent of damage inflicted during the strikes.
War Timeline And Broader Impact
The conflict began with Israel's surprise attack on June 13. In the days leading to the ceasefire, both countries traded heavy firepower. Iran’s symbolic retaliation, followed by U.S. de-escalation messaging, suggested both sides were looking for a way out.
Meanwhile, pressure mounted from within Israel to end the parallel war in Gaza, which has reportedly killed over 56,000 Palestinians since it began nearly two years ago.
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