A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to take hold on Tuesday after initially faltering, bringing a tense pause to twelve days of escalating air strikes that caused significant casualties on both sides.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with both nations, stating they had fought “for so long and so hard” that they no longer knew what they were doing. His comments came after he publicly scolded both Iran and Israel for violating a ceasefire he announced earlier at 0500 GMT.
Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Israel had brought Iran’s nuclear program “to ruin,” a new U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report suggested otherwise. The report, cited by sources familiar with its findings, indicated that recent U.S. strikes had only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months. While the strikes sealed off entrances to two facilities, underground buildings remained intact, and some centrifuges were still operational.
The White House dismissed the intelligence assessment as “flat out wrong.” The administration informed the United Nations Security Council that the weekend strikes had “degraded” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, falling short of President Trump’s earlier assertion that the facilities had been “obliterated.”
Netanyahu asserted that Israel’s actions had eliminated immediate existential threats. “We have removed two immediate existential threats to us: the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles,” he said.
On the other side, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed willingness to return to negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. However, he emphasized Iran would continue to assert its legitimate rights to the peaceful use of atomic energy.
Signals from both Iran and Israel suggested the air war had ended, at least for now. Israel’s military lifted restrictions across the country, and Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv reopened. Similarly, Iran announced it would reopen its airspace, as reported by state-affiliated media.
In a message to the Iranian people following the ceasefire, President Pezeshkian appreciated their unity and resilience. He called on all institutions to focus efforts on reconstruction work from this day forward.
The 12-day exchange of air strikes resulted in significant casualties. Iran reported 610 fatalities and 4,746 injuries, while Israel confirmed 28 deaths. The truce, however, remains fragile as both nations took hours to acknowledge the ceasefire and accused each other of violations.
Experts express skepticism about the durability of the ceasefire. Wang Jin, director of the Center of Strategic Studies at Northwest University, questioned whether the ceasefire could hold given the deep mistrust between the two foes. He noted that the ceasefire is a verbal agreement without a formal document, lacking strong oversight or a control mechanism. “The ceasefire process is still likely to be filled with many uncertainties,” Wang added.
Meanwhile, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, urged all parties to faithfully abide by the ceasefire. “No more deceptions this time,” Fu implored ahead of a related Security Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
As the world watches cautiously, the hope is that this ceasefire will pave the way for lasting peace and stability in the region.
