Israel Orders High-Intensity Operations in Tehran After Iran's Alleged Missile Launch

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the country’s military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel. Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran. It comes just hours after US president Donald Trump announced in a social media post that Iran and Israel had agreed to end hostilities, with Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu saying they had agreed to the proposal.

European shares surged on Tuesday and do not seem to have been unduly affected by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz saying he had ordered the military to strike Tehran in response to what he said were missiles fired by Iran in a violation of the ceasefire announced hours earlier. Iran’s ISNA news agency said reports that Iran had fired missiles at Israel after the ceasefire took effect were false. The pan-European STOXX 600 index advanced 1.3 per cent to 542.2 points as of 0908 GMT, set for its biggest single-day percentage gain in over a month, if the trend holds. Other major regional indexes also traded higher - Germany was up 2.1 per cent, France gained 1.3 per cent, Spain rose 1.4 per cent, and the UK advanced 0.4 per cent. All major sectors, barring energy and utilities, traded higher. European travel and leisure stocks led sectoral gains with a 3.6 per cent rise on Israel-Iran ceasefire news. On the flip side, the oil and gas sector lost 2.1 per cent hitting two-week lows, tracking a fall in oil prices.

The last post on X from Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi would definitely suggest a ceasefire is in place from 4am Tehran time (1.30am) Irish time. He wrote: “The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am. Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave armed forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute. Provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards. The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”

So what is happening if missiles are still being fired at Israel and Israel has responded in kind? The BBC is reporting that sirens have been sounding over northern Israel this morning. There appears to be some confusion as to whether or not a ceasefire has actually been agreed to. Iran denies that it has fired any missiles at Israel, but, if it hasn’t done it, who has? Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has responded to the alleged breach by posting on X: “Tehran will tremble”. Reuters is reporting that Israeli defence Minister Israel Katz has ordered the country’s military to respond forcefully to what he said was Iran’s violation of a ceasefire with Israel. The directive followed an announcement by the military that it had detected missile launches from Iran towards Israel. Less than three hours earlier, US president Donald Trump had said that the ceasefire was now in effect. Mr Katz said the military had now been instructed to carry out high-intensity operations against targets in Tehran.

Senator Frances Black said she will hold Tánaiste Simon Harris to account in relation to the Occupied Territories Bill, which will go before the Cabinet today. Ms Black told Newstalk Breakfast that she welcomed the fact that the Bill was going before Cabinet after years of “unnecessary delays”. “We urgently need to see action now. I have to be clear on this, the legislation that’s agreed by Cabinet today, it’s still only a draft, but the Tánaiste has committed both to me and publicly that the government are willing to include services in the final Bill if we can get the legal details right,” she said. “I am absolutely 100 per cent certain that we can and I’m going to hold him to that promise. I know the Bill will be going for committee scrutiny and the foreign affairs committee will get this draft, read it and they will give feedback and recommend any changes before the session is finished or finalised.”

Occupied Territories Bill returns A ceasefire between Israel and Iran will now turn the attention back to Gaza. The long-awaited Occupied Territories Bill will be brought to Cabinet this morning. The legislation will be known as the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warned that Gaza could be forgotten as international focus moves to the war between Iran and Israel. Mr Martin said the diplomatic process relating to Iran’s nuclear programme should have been allowed to play itself out but what was required now, he said, “is a complete de-escalation, an ending of the war and also we cannot forget Gaza. There’s a huge danger that Gaza will be sidelined and marginalised in terms of the international profile. The continuing loss of life in Gaza is appalling. The number of children facing malnutrition and death from malnutrition is simply unconscionable and the international community needs to maintain its focus on ending the war in Gaza, allowing for a huge surge in humanitarian aid in, the release of all hostages and the commencement of the reconstruction of Gaza and the peace process there.”

European shares climbed more than 1 per cent on Tuesday after Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, boosting investor sentiment and risk appetite across global markets. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 1.4 per cent at 542.6 points. Other major regional indexes also traded higher, with Germany’s benchmark leading gains with a nearly 2 per cent jump. At least nine people have been killed and four homes destroyed in an attack in northern Iran, local officials say. The governor’s office in Gilan says 33 people were also injured in what it’s calling a “terrorist” attack on the city of Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh. Iranian media reports say Israel was behind the attack. The deputy governor of Gilan says 16 of those killed or injured are women and children. Some media outlets are reporting that Mohammad Reza Seddiqi, a nuclear scientist, was among the dead. The Israeli military has also just mentioned the killing of a senior nuclear scientist overnight.

Oil prices fall as threat of all-out war recedes Oil prices plunged when it became clear the strikes on Qatar weren’t deadly, with traders taking it as a sign that Iran had no intention of escalating tensions with Washington, let alone engulfing other countries in the oil-rich region in a wider war. Brent fell more than 5 per cent to around $67.90 a barrel in early trading on Tuesday, following a drop of more than 7 per cent on Monday. It’s now back to the level it was before Israel started attacking Iran on June 13. Israel was still striking targets in Iran early on Tuesday, but the explosions in Tehran seemed to stop at about 4am local time, the BBC reported, citing local residents. While Israeli officials remained silent overnight, a senior White House official said Trump brokered the ceasefire in a direct conversation with Netanyahu on Monday. Vice-president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff held direct and indirect talks with the Iranians about the proposal, the official said. Israel agreed to the truce as long as Iran did not launch further attacks, and the Iranian government signalled it would abide by those terms, according to the official.

Israel states it has removed Iran’s threat Israel says it has agreed to the ceasefire proposal after “achieving the objectives” of its attack on Iran. Israel has removed Iran’s “dual immediate existential threat” from nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Israel has “inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets”, according to the statement. The country had also “severely struck government targets in the heart of Tehran, eliminating hundreds of Basij operatives” – a militia the Iranian government often uses to suppress protests – and “eliminating another senior nuclear scientist”. The statement concluded: “Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defence and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat.”

Only President Trump could have achieved this historic ceasefire agreement that brings us closer to peace. It was a herculean effort that deserves the thanks of all the people of Israel, Iran, Middle East, America—the entire world. Congratulations and thank you, @realDonaldTrump.

President Trump delivers, again. This is Peace Through Strength!

BREAKING NEWS: Binyamin Netanyahu says Israel has agreed to a ceasefire. He thanked president Donald Trump for helping to destroy Iran’s nuclear threat. Iranian state media outlet SNN reports that Iran has fired “a last round of missiles” towards Israel before a ceasefire comes into effect. Israel said it detected waves of missile strikes earlier that killed at least four people. Iran’s state TV is also reporting that a ceasefire has been “imposed” on Israel after waves of Iranian attacks. Israel has not publicly accepted the ceasefire proposal.

‘Please do not violate it!’ US president Donald Trump says a ceasefire between Israel and Iran is “now in effect” and tells both countries: “Please do not violate it!” Donald Trump says Iran and Israel have agreed ceasefire US president Donald Trump has announced in a social media post that Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire. “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, “THE 12 DAY WAR,” Mr Trump wrote on his platform, Truth Social. President Donald Trump: 'This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!.' Photograph: Eric Lee/The New York Times “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!” Mr Trump later told NBC the ceasefire was “unlimited” and would last “forever”.