Over 600 Iranians have died in Israeli strikes since June 13, with both nations reporting heavy casualties. Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, violations resumed swiftly, escalating regional tensions. President Trump criticized both Israel and Iran, warning of further consequences amid a deepening Middle East crisis.
In a dramatic escalation of hostilities between Iran and Israel, Iran’s Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi announced on Tuesday that the death toll from Israeli airstrikes over the past 12 days has risen to 606, with an additional 5,332 people injured. This includes the past 24 hours, which Zafarghandi described as witnessing the “most horrific attacks and aggressions” by Israel since the conflict erupted on June 13. In just one day, 104 Iranians were killed, and 1,342 others were wounded, according to Iranian officials.
On the Israeli side, the country’s Health Ministry reported 28 deaths and 3,238 injuries since the beginning of the conflict, underscoring the toll of the intensifying violence on both nations.
Late Monday night, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between Iran and Israel. The ceasefire, brokered with the assistance of international intermediaries, was scheduled to take effect at approximately 0400 GMT Tuesday, according to a report from China’s Xinhua news agency.
However, the fragile truce was almost immediately jeopardized. Within hours of the ceasefire announcement, both sides accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement. Retaliatory attacks resumed shortly afterward, raising fears that the ceasefire might be short-lived or collapse entirely.
President Trump, speaking to reporters in Washington before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague, issued a scathing rebuke of both countries for their conduct following the ceasefire deal. “These guys gotta calm down. It’s ridiculous. I didn’t like plenty of things that I saw yesterday,” Trump said. “I didn’t like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal … and I didn’t like the fact that the retaliation was very strong.”
Trump emphasized that both Israel and Iran had breached the ceasefire. He singled out Israel’s immediate bombing campaign post-agreement, stating: “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen before… The biggest load that we’ve seen. I’m not happy with Israel.”
He continued his criticism, noting that the conflict has reached a point of chaos. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing. Do you understand that?”
Hours earlier, Trump had taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, to warn Israel in stark terms against launching further attacks on Iran. “Israel, do not drop those bombs. If you do, it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now!” he posted, expressing clear frustration over the deteriorating situation.
The conflict, which began on June 13, has escalated significantly in recent days, including reports that Iran fired six missiles toward American military bases in Iraq and Qatar on Monday night. These actions further complicate the United States’ diplomatic position and raise the specter of a broader regional conflict involving American forces.
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Despite the ceasefire announcement, both Iran and Israel remain on high alert, and the international community is watching the situation with mounting concern. Humanitarian organizations have called for immediate medical assistance and aid in affected regions, particularly in Iran where civilian casualties have surged.
As the death toll climbs and violations continue, questions loom over the viability of any ceasefire and whether a more sustainable diplomatic resolution is possible. For now, the region teeters on the edge of wider warfare, with Washington caught between mediation and crisis management.
