Iran and Israel celebrate ceasefire despite early reports of violations

Iranians and Israelis celebrated a tentative return of peace on Tuesday, despite reports from both sides of early violations of a ceasefire announced by US President Donald J. Trump.

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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday he had ordered the military to mount new strikes on targets in Tehran in response to what he said were Iranian missiles fired in a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire.

Iran denied launching any missiles and said Israel's attacks had continued for an hour and a half beyond the time the ceasefire was meant to start.

But in both countries, the wider Middle East and around the world there was palpable sense of relief that a path out of war had been charted, 12 days after Israel launched it with a surprise attack, and two days after the United States joined in.

"We're happy, very happy. Who mediated or how it happened doesn’t matter. The war is over. It never should have started in the first place," Reza Sharifi, 38, heading back to Tehran from Rasht on the Caspian Sea where he had relocated with his family to escape strikes on the capital, told Reuters by telephone.

Arik Daimant, a software engineer in Tel Aviv, said: "Regrettably, it’s a bit too late for me and my family, because our house back here was totally destroyed in the recent bombings last Sunday. But as they say: 'better late than never,' and I hope this ceasefire is a new beginning."

Mr. Trump had announced the ceasefire with a post on Truth Social: "THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!"

It was not immediately clear what impact would follow from the accusations of early ceasefire violations.