OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in force on Tuesday, urging both sides to 鈥渘ot violate it鈥 on the 12th day of the war between the two arch-foes.
鈥淭HE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!鈥 he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The US leader had earlier said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.
Israeli rescuers said four people were killed in an Iranian strike, after state media in the Islamic republic reported waves of missiles were headed toward Israel.
Neither Iran nor Israel have confirmed the agreement touted by Trump on ending the conflict that has killed hundreds in Iran and two dozen in Israel.
Only hours before Trump鈥檚 latest announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that 鈥渁s of now, there is NO 鈥榓greement鈥 on ceasefire or cessation of military operations鈥.
鈥淗owever, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,鈥 he said on social media.
But Israel鈥檚 army said sirens were activated in northern Israel 鈥 where moments before Iran鈥檚 state broadcaster IRIB reported a wave of missiles were headed.
Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces killed 21 people waiting for aid
At least four people were killed in the multi-wave Iranian missile attack shortly before the staggered ceasefire announced by Trump was meant to enter into force, emergency services and the military said.
The Magen David Adom rescue service said three people were pronounced dead at the scene of a strike in the southern city of Beersheba while a fourth was added in an update to its figures.
Explosions also continued to rock Tehran overnight, with blasts in the north and centre of the Iranian capital described by AFP journalists as some of the strongest since the conflict broke out.
Any cessation in hostilities would come as a huge relief to world leaders frantic about an escalation in violence igniting a wider conflagration.
The adversaries had been swapping missile fire since Israel carried out surprise 鈥減reemptive鈥 strikes against Iran on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites, and prompting Trump to warn of a possible 鈥渕assive鈥 regional conflict.
Strikes on US base
The US leader鈥檚 truce announcement came hours after Iran launched missiles at the largest US military facility in the Middle East 鈥 Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar 鈥 in a move Trump shrugged off as 鈥渧ery weak.鈥
Calling for a de-escalation, Trump said Tehran had given advance notice of the barrage.
Iran鈥檚 National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base 鈥渋n response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran鈥檚 nuclear sites and facilities鈥.
But it added that the number of missiles launched 鈥渨as the same as the number of bombs that the US had used鈥 鈥 a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional rather than escalatory.
鈥淭his was calibrated and telegraphed in a way that would not result in any American casualties, so that there is an off ramp for both sides,鈥 Ali Vaez, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, told AFP.
The offensive came after the United States joined its ally Israel鈥檚 military campaign against Iran, attacking an underground uranium enrichment centre with massive bunker-busting bombs and hitting two other nuclear facilities overnight Saturday into Sunday.
鈥楤latant aggression鈥
Iran said its assault in Qatar wasn鈥檛 targeting the Middle Eastern neighbour, but the government in Doha accused Tehran of 鈥渂latant aggression鈥 and claimed its right to a 鈥減roportional鈥 response.
Iran鈥檚 state media quoted the Revolutionary Guard Corps announcing that six missiles had hit Al Udeid, which had been evacuated beforehand, according to the Qataris.
Israel reports waves of Iranian missiles, soon after Trump announced ceasefire
The broadside was made up of 鈥渟hort-range and medium-range ballistic missiles,鈥 a US defence official said.
AFP reporters heard blasts in central Doha and in Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, and saw projectiles moving across the night sky.
Iranians gathered in central Tehran to celebrate, images on state TV showed, with some waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting 鈥淒eath to America鈥.
Qatar earlier announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of 鈥渄evelopments in the region鈥, while the US embassy and other foreign missions warned their citizens to shelter in place.
Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran鈥檚 health ministry has said.
Twenty-four people have died in Iran鈥檚 attacks on Israel, according to official figures.