Fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds amid tense calm

TEHRAN

Protesters gather in front of the Iranian Embassy carry Iranian flags in celebration of ceasefire between Iran and Israel, in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect after 12 days of deadly strikes, with both sides claiming success and tensions still running high.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed a "historic victory" in the 12-day conflict.

In a national address Netanyahu vowed to thwart "any attempt" by Iran to rebuild its nuclear programme, which armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said Israeli strikes had set back "by years".

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed his nation's "heroic resistance" in a message carried by the official IRNA news agency.

Pezeshkian has said Iran will respect the ceasefire as long as Israel holds to its terms, adding that Tehran will continue to "assert its legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of atomic power but was "ready to resolve the issues... at the negotiating table".

Final salvos

Israel "refrained" from further strikes on Iran on Tuesday after a call between Trump and Netanyahu, the premier's office said, though it did destroy a radar installation.

Trump had accused both Iran and Israel of violating the ceasefire he announced late on Monday, but hours later he posted that it was in effect.

"Following President Trump's conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel refrained from further strikes," a statement said.

Iran's state media said on Tuesday that a wave of missiles was headed towards Israel around the time the ceasefire was expected to take hold.

Israeli emergency services later said four people were killed in a missile strike in the southern city of Beersheba.

At least 50 impacts have been acknowledged across Israel since the war began, and 28 people have been killed, according to official figures.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 610 civilians, Iran's health ministry said on Tuesday.

International relief

After mounting fears of regional spillover, the international community breathed a sigh of relief at the apparent Iran-Israel truce.

Trump, who had previously toyed with "regime change" in Iran, rejected the idea en route to a NATO summit in the Netherlands.

"If there was, there was, but no I don't want it. I'd like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Meeting Trump on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "expressed his satisfaction with the ceasefire achieved between Israel and Iran through President Trump's efforts, hoping it would be permanent," his office said.

Russia and Germany are among the other countries to hail the truce.