President Trump's Middle East ceasefire breaks down almost immediately as Iran 'fires missiles' and Israel vows to 'respond forcefully' after US president pleaded both sides not to violate agreement
'Israel' may stage false flag to force US into Iran war, experts warn. Iran has denied launching the missiles and insisted it did not violate the ceasefire, according to state media.
By ELENA SALVONI, WILL POTTER, RACHEL BOWMAN & NIKKI SCHWAB
June 24, 2025
Donald Trump warned the warring sides to 'please not violate' the ceasefire last night, declaring that it marked a new chapter of 'world peace'.
But hopes that the fighting would be halted were short lived, with Israel saying it had intercepted two ballistic missiles this morning.
In response, defence minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to 'respond forcefully to Iran's violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran.'
Israel earlier said it had agreed to Trump's proposal, declaring it had successfully removed Iran's 'dual immediate existential threat' of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles - helped by the US intervening with strikes on Tehran's atomic facilities.
Iran also confirmed a ceasefire was in place this morning, just hours after it launched retaliatory attacks on America's largest military base in the Middle East.
What were hoped to be the last Iranian missiles of the conflict rained down on Israel this morning, killing four people and injuring at least a dozen more when they hit a residential building in the country's south.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Tehran had halted its retaliation against Israel at 4am local time, but the IDF said sirens were sounding in Israel shortly before 6am local time due to the missile launch.
Araghchi said there is no ceasefire agreement with Israel, but that his country has 'no intention to continue' military operations if Israel stops its attacks, which it is due to do later today according to Trump's plan.
Trump announced the 'bilateral ceasefire' on Monday - less than two weeks after Iran and Israel started exchanging missile strikes and two days after the US blasted the Islamic Republic's nuclear labs with 'bunker buster' bombs.
The president said on his Truth Social platform that the '12 day war' will 'end' in 24 hours, writing in another post that it was set to go into effect once in-progress missions were completed.
In a separate statement, he simply wrote: 'CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT'S TIME FOR PEACE'. It now appears his plans have not been respected.
Live updates below:
'Israel' may stage false flag to force US into Iran war, experts warn
By Al Mayadeen
If President Trump resists deeper US involvement in "Israel’s" war on Iran, Tel Aviv may resort to false flag operations, such as attacks on US assets or staged terror incidents, experts warn.
If its campaign against Iran falters, "Israel" may stage a false flag scenario similar to the USS Liberty operation to force the US to engage directly in the Israeli war on Iran, experts warn.
The US is already assisting the Israeli occupation with supplies, intel, and refueling support, according to a former Pentagon analyst and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski.
Speaking to Sputnik, Kwiatkowski warned that if President Trump resists direct involvement in "Israel’s" war on Iran, "a false flag may be needed" to force his hand.
Kwiatkowski outlined several possible scenarios "Israel" could use to fabricate a justification for US interference:
▪️An attack on US assets in the region blamed on Iran or its allies, such as the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF);
▪️A domestic terror attack or assassination attributed to Iran;
▪️An Iranian air defense strike “accidentally” hitting a civilian jetliner carrying Americans;
▪️The use of a dirty bomb or radioactive contamination staged to implicate Iran;
▪️Nuclear blackmail, threatening to strike Iran with nukes if the US refuses to join the fight.
While Kwiatkowski believes "Israel" likely holds “enough blackmail power” over Trump and Congress to make such provocations unnecessary, she warned that a USS Liberty-style incident, possibly targeting the aging USS Nimitz as it returns to the Middle East, cannot be ruled out.
Beirut-based geopolitical analyst Yeghia Tashjian shares similar concerns, noting that "Israel" has “limited capabilities” when it comes to effectively targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, particularly its heavily fortified underground facilities, which are the primary focus of Operation Rising Lion.
Tashjian also points out that "Israel" lacks the capacity to deploy ground forces inside Iran, making the prospect of an “overwhelming victory” virtually impossible, even under favorable conditions.
As for provoking US involvement, he warns that false flag scenarios could include attacks on American military bases in Iraq or orchestrated terror attacks on US embassies in the region, both designed to draw Washington into the war.
President Trump on potential of strikes on Iran: 'I may do it, I may not do it'
President Trump suggested Wednesday that the United States might join Israeli airstrikes on Iran, though he remained noncommittal, saying, “I may do it, I may not do it.”
Speaking from the South Lawn of the White House, where he was observing the installation of a new flagpole, Trump said his patience with Tehran had “already run out” and reiterated his demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender".
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva warned on Wednesday that Tehran would respond firmly to any direct US involvement in the Israeli occupation’s war on Iran.
President Trump revealed that Iran had recently reached out to begin negotiations, even proposing to send officials to the White House to discuss its nuclear program.
"They’ve suggested that they come to the White House,” he claimed.
However, he cast doubt on the timing, calling it “very late” to begin talks, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of a meeting.
“There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” President Trump said, acknowledging Iran’s willingness to negotiate as a bold move but noting the difficulty such outreach poses for the Iranian government.
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Wow, the lies that get said and written. It just goes to show that no one appears to realise that the Muslim religion of death dictates within its Quran, that they must lie no matter what. So even if Iran on the surface appeared that they were wanting peace, then the real truth of that matter under the fasard is that, they were never really planning peace or a ceasefire to begin with. They were using a call for ceasefire for a much bigger purpose and it appears everyone, including President Trump has fallen for it and rather than make the Iranians guilty of breaking a ceasefire, have instead turned it on Netinyahu, when in truth you should really know better and know it was the Iranians all along.
These Iranian leaders are beyond obsessed at wanting to obliterate Israel and it's people, including America and Britain. What part of this fact doesn't anyone understand?