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Israel launched a series of strikes deep inside Tehran early Tuesday morning, in response to ballistic missiles fired from Iran toward northern Israel late Monday night, just hours after a ceasefire agreement was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to “respond forcefully” to the attack, which he characterized as a clear violation of the truce.
“I have instructed the IDF to respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran,” Katz said in a public statement.
The IDF’s retaliatory strikes reportedly targeted several key regime-linked facilities, including a Basij paramilitary headquarters, an internal security facility operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the main entrance to Evin Prison, a notorious detention center known for housing political prisoners.
While the two ballistic missiles fired from Iran were successfully intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems and no casualties were reported, the Israeli government maintained that even minor ceasefire breaches would now draw a strong military response.
“In light of the serious violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will strike with force,” said IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir in a statement backing the operation.
The ceasefire, brokered with U.S. mediation and formally announced late Monday by President Trump, was meant to halt escalating tensions between Iran and Israel following months of proxy clashes and airstrikes across the region.
The agreement, effective as of midnight local time, was hailed by international observers as a fragile but hopeful step toward de-escalation.
However, air raid sirens blared across northern Israel, including Haifa, just hours later, prompting thousands of residents to seek shelter in public bunkers as reports of incoming ballistic missiles emerged. The IDF’s Arrow and David’s Sling missile defense systems reportedly intercepted both projectiles before impact.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the missile launch from Iran was authorized by the top echelons of the Iranian regime or a result of miscommunication among field commanders. Still, Israeli officials said the policy moving forward is zero tolerance for any violations, regardless of intent or scale.
This mirrors Israel’s ongoing enforcement of a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has been in place since November 27, 2024. That arrangement has also seen multiple retaliatory strikes in response to isolated incidents along the northern border.
As of Tuesday morning, Iranian state media has not commented on the Israeli strikes, and there have been no official reports of casualties or damage in Tehran. However, analysts warn that the latest exchange risks reigniting broader conflict across the region.
President Trump has not yet commented publicly on the apparent collapse of the ceasefire he helped broker less than 24 hours earlier. Meanwhile, Israel’s security cabinet is expected to convene an emergency session later in the day to assess the evolving situation.