Fresh tensions erupted in the Middle East on Tuesday as Israeli airstrikes reportedly hit Iranian targets near Tehran, despite a recently agreed ceasefire that was meant to pause hostilities between the two long-standing adversaries. Reports emerging from both Iranian and Israeli media sources confirmed the renewed strikes, raising serious questions about the fragility of the truce and the broader geopolitical implications of the escalating conflict.

According to Iran’s judiciary-affiliated news outlet Mizan, two loud explosions were heard in the Iranian capital late Tuesday. While Iranian officials have yet to confirm the extent of the damage, Israeli Army Radio stated that the strikes targeted an Iranian radar installation near Tehran, suggesting a deliberate and strategic military operation rather than a mere skirmish.

The developments came within hours of U.S. President Donald Trump asserting that Israel had agreed to halt its bombing campaign at his request. Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote:

“All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!”

This bold claim appeared to stand in contrast to unfolding events on the ground, where reports of new Israeli strikes continued to emerge. Trump’s online remarks followed a series of statements in which he expressed dissatisfaction with both Iran and Israel for what he described as breaches of the ceasefire agreement.

In a blunt tone that marked his impromptu remarks outside the White House before heading to a NATO summit in The Hague, Trump said:

“I’m not happy with either side. They both agreed to stop. Now they’re going at it again.”

He seemed particularly frustrated with Israel’s decision to launch what he called “huge strikes” in response to a missile launch from Iran that he suggested may have been unintentional. Addressing the press directly, he added:

“I’ve got to get Israel to calm down now.”

Perhaps most notably, in an unusually candid off-the-cuff moment, Trump remarked:

“They’ve been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f** they’re doing.”*

Though expletive-laced, the comment underscored the former president’s growing concern over a conflict spiraling beyond the control of traditional diplomacy.

Sources from Axios reported that Trump spoke directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to dial down tensions. According to the report, Netanyahu indicated a willingness to scale back the strikes rather than cancel them outright. However, Netanyahu’s office has yet to issue any official statement confirming such a conversation or detailing Israel’s revised military posture.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz remained firm in his public position. In a statement issued earlier in the day, Katz declared that he had ordered new strikes against targets in Tehran. He cited a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire by Iran as justification, alleging that Iranian forces had fired missiles at Israeli territory.

Iran, on the other hand, firmly rejected the accusation. Iranian authorities denied launching any missiles and countered that Israel’s air raids had extended for nearly ninety minutes beyond the designated ceasefire start time. The opposing narratives have only added to the confusion and mistrust surrounding the truce, making its sustainability increasingly doubtful.

As diplomatic efforts teeter and military actions continue despite declarations to the contrary, the fragile ceasefire now hangs in the balance. With both sides offering conflicting accounts and Washington caught in the middle, observers fear that a return to full-scale conflict could be imminent unless firm diplomatic channels are reestablished.