The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday accused the Iranian military of violating the ceasefire that came into force just hours earlier.

Tel Aviv will “respond with force” in retaliation to the “severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime”, said Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir.

Sirens were being sounded in northern Israel “due to missile fire” from Iran, the Israeli forces said at 10.35 am local time.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that he had ordered the military “to respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire by launching powerful strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran”, AFP reported.

However, Iranian state-run Press TV quoted the country’s armed forces as having denied that it had launched fresh missile attacks on Israel.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said on Tuesday that its armed forces had compelled Israel to “unilaterally halt its aggression”, AFP reported.

The military remained “on high alert” to respond to “any act of aggression”, the country’s top security body added.

The alleged violation of the ceasefire by Iran came hours after Tel Aviv and Tehran agreed to the truce after 12 days of conflict.

United States President Donald Trump first made the announcement on social media, saying that Iran and Israel had agreed to a “complete and total” ceasefire.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi initially said that there had been no...

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