Shaky Cease-Fire Takes Hold In Gulf

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The ceasefire between Israel and Iran began on a shaky start with US President Donald Trump, the key broker, showing his frustration by using televised expletives against ally Israel for undermining the deal just hours after its announcement.

Despite the formal agreement, tensions flared immediately after nine people were killed in Israeli strikes on the northern Iranian province of Gilan, Iranian state media reported, while five people were killed in Iranian strikes on the southern Israeli city of Beersheba.

President Trump, speaking to reporters before departing for a NATO summit, said both sides had likely violated the fledgling agreement, but he aimed his strongest criticism at Israel, a long-time U.S. ally.“They're making it harder,” he said, reportedly using strong language behind the scenes. Later, in an attempt to stabilize the narrative, Trump claimed the ceasefire had been restored:

“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. 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!” he posted on Truth Social.

In Tehran, Iran's top security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), declared that Israel had been forced to halt hostilities following a“powerful and determined response” by Iranian forces. In a statement issued Tuesday, the SNSC credited the Iranian armed forces'“exemplary courage” and said their coordinated missile operations - including strikes on U.S.-run Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar - brought Israel's campaign to a unilateral end.

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“In response to the Zionist enemy's aggression, your brave and self-sacrificing children... heeded the command of the Leader and Commander-in-Chief (Ayatollah Khamenei) and responded with exemplary courage,” the SNSC said.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi offered cautious optimism saying Iran would pause retaliation“provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people.”

Surprise ceasefire announcement came hours after Iran launched a missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base - the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Central Command and a critical American military hub in West Asia. The campaign codenamed Tidings of Victory by Iranian armed forces was in response to US attack on three nuclear sites inside Iran.

The 12-day conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched a strike killing Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. The situation escalated sharply on June 22, when U.S. aircraft bombed three Iranian nuclear sites - an act Tehran called a“grave violation” of the UN Charter and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Now, with the guns momentarily silent, each of the key players - the U.S., Iran, and Israel - is racing to shape the domestic and international narrative in its favour. Trump's administration claims to have“degraded” Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Israel touts its success in targeting Tehran's capabilities. And Iran, in turn, is portraying its survival and counterstrikes as a victory over two military giants.

This public relations battle reflects the modern face of warfare, where victory is often claimed not on the battlefield but in national messaging. For Iran, the conflict has had the unintended effect of unifying a fragmented society and galvanising nationalist sentiment.

Still, critical questions linger. While U.S. officials say Iran's nuclear program has been seriously damaged, Tehran denies it, and Western intelligence agencies admit uncertainty over the status of Iran's uranium stockpile. Diplomats fear that, far from weakening Iran's nuclear ambitions, the confrontation may have fuelled them further.

For now, the ceasefire offers a welcome reprieve to a region - and a world - rattled by the spectre of a broader Middle East war. But with all sides armed, alert, and declaring victory, the fragile peace appears less like a resolution and more like an intermission. As diplomacy hesitantly re-emerges, analysts are left questioning: What lasting purpose did Israel's initial strike - and the dangerous days that followed - ultimately serve?

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