Jerusalem [Israel], June 26: A fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel appeared to hold Tuesday after initially faltering, and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed frustration with both sides, saying they had fought "for so long and so hard" that they do not know what they are doing.
But even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel had brought Iran's nuclear program "to ruin," a new U.S. intelligence report found that the program has been set back only a few months after U.S. strikes over the weekend, according to two people familiar with the assessment.
The early report issued Monday by the Defense Intelligence Agency was described to The Associated Press by two people familiar with it. They were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The report also contradicts statements from Trump, who has said the Iranian nuclear program was "completely and fully obliterated." The White House called the assessment "flat-out wrong."
After the truce was supposed to take effect, Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that "Tehran will tremble."
The Iranian military denied firing on Israel, state media reported, but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel in the morning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.
Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a NATO summit that, in his view, both sides had violated the nascent agreement. He had particularly strong words for Israel, a close ally, while suggesting Iran may have fired on the country by mistake.
But later he said the deal was saved.
"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!" Trump said in his Truth Social post.
Indeed, Netanyahu's office said he held off on tougher strikes against Iran after speaking to Trump.
Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday the Islamic Republic emerged "proud and steadfast" from the aggression by Israel and the United States.
"This proves one simple truth more clearly than ever: diplomacy and dialogue are the only path to resolving the unnecessary crisis over Iran's peaceful program," he said.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
