Tehran: Tensions in the Middle East flared again on Tuesday morning as a deadly Iranian ballistic missile strike hit the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva, killing at least four people and injuring several others. The missile struck a residential apartment complex, reducing parts of the building to rubble and triggering panic among locals. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene to rescue survivors and treat the injured.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that three missiles were fired from Iran within a span of one hour. Sirens wailed across parts of southern Israel as citizens sought shelter, bracing for further escalation.
This latest strike comes in the shadow of growing diplomatic confusion. Just hours earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had announced what he described as a “complete and total ceasefire” between Iran and Israel. His statement followed Iran’s earlier limited missile response to the U.S. bombing of its nuclear sites and a retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar.
However, Iranian officials swiftly dismissed Trump’s claims. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly rejected the notion of any formal ceasefire agreement. “As of now, there is NO agreement on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Araghchi posted on X at 4:16 am Tehran time.
He did, however, suggest that Iran might hold fire if Israel halted its actions: “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.”
