US President Donald Trump expressed intense anger and disappointment over the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, slamming both countries for violating the agreement Tuesday.

Trump took credit for having brokered the ceasefire, but it appears to have faltered mere hours after its announcement.

Speaking outside the White House on Tuesday, a visibly angry Trump said he was not happy with both countries and was looking to reprimand the two nations.

“We have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what they’re doing,” Trump said, criticising both Israel and Iran for their actions while using profanities.

Despite acknowledging that the ceasefire might not be entirely broken, Trump expressed his discontent with Israel saying the country attacked Iran just after they had made the deal. 

“Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before,” Trump said.

He added that Israel had to “calm down” after he said both Israel and Iran violated a ceasefire he tried to broker.

“I gotta get Israel to calm down now,” Trump said.

In a strongly worded message on Truth Social, Trump urged Israel to cease its military actions and recall its pilots. “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” he wrote.

The Iranian media, on Tuesday, reported that an Israeli strike on Monday had killed a senior commander of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

“The commander of Basij counterintelligence protection forces was martyred in a Zionist regime attack,” the Fars news agency said, citing a statement from the IRGC.

The conflict between Israel and Iran escalated after Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites on June 13, prompting Iran to retaliate with a drone and missile campaign.

The US subsequently conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, leading to further retaliation from Iran.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant humanitarian concerns, with Iran reporting over 400 deaths, including 13 children, and at least 3,056 wounded since Israel launched its attack. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed in Iranian strikes.

Iran has denied allegations of violating the ceasefire and has warned its forces stand ready to respond decisively to any Israeli violations. 

On Monday evening, Iran launched missiles at al-Udeid air base. However, both Qatari and US officials said nearly all were intercepted and there were no casualties or injuries.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the US military aggression against its nuclear facilities, holding the US government fully responsible for the grave consequences of this major crime.

“The US military aggression against the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of a UN member state—perpetrated in collusion with the genocidal Zionist regime—once again reveals the depths of U.S. malice and hostility toward the peace-loving, independent people of Iran.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran asserts its right to stand firmly against the U.S. military aggression and crimes and to protect Iran’s national security and interests by all means necessary,” Iran wrote in a statement.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) has also weighed in on the matter condemning the US military attacks on Iran, expressing solidarity with ‘the people of Iran and the axis of resistance to imperialism and Zionism’. 

SACP spokesperson Mbulelo Mandlana said: “The SACP strongly condemns the United States’ military attacks on Iran… We reiterate our solidarity with the people of Iran and the entire axis of resistance to imperialism, Zionism, and its genocidal campaigns in the Middle East.”

“In condemning attacks on Iran and genocide on the Palestinian people by Israel, on 14 June 2025, the SACP appealed to the international community not to be silent in the face of the warmongering United States-backed apartheid Israeli settler regime but to condemn the violations. The SACP reiterates this same call against the United States’ militarism, unilateralism and violations of others’ rights,” Mandlana said.

Political Analyst Dr John Molepo said the faltering ceasefire and escalating conflict have raised concerns about the potential for further destabilisation in the region. 

He said the conflict could easily surge into a bigger war if not stopped now.

“BRICS member states have to come into play now and try to help the situation before it gets out of hand,” Molepo said.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za 

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