By Spy Uganda Correspondent
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has proclaimed a “historic victory” over Israel following the announcement of a ceasefire between the two countries.
On June 24, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire, which appeared to mark the end of the 12-day Iran–Israel war. “Please do not violate it!” he urged both sides in a post on his Truth Social platform.
However, just hours later, Israel accused Iran of launching further attacks on its territory. The Israeli government stated it had accepted the U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal after Iran indicated it would halt attacks if Israel did the same.
The ceasefire came shortly after Iran launched a missile strike on Al-Udeid, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, located in Qatar, on June 23. Iran claimed the attack was in retaliation for U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites on June 21. Iranian President Pezeshkian told Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that the strike was not directed at the “friendly and brotherly” government in Doha.
In a televised statement on June 24, Pezeshkian praised the “brave resistance” of the Iranian people and declared the ceasefire a “historic victory” against what he called the “terrorist enemy.”
“The world saw the strength of a great Iran, backed by its people. Although the terrorist enemy started this war, it ended on our terms — with the will and authority of our great nation,” he said.
Pezeshkian also accused Israel of launching its military operation under “false and repeated pretexts” while Iran was actively engaged in diplomacy, a reference to the five rounds of nuclear negotiations with the United States mediated by Oman.
“The aggressor enemy failed in achieving its sinister objectives — namely, the destruction of nuclear facilities, the erosion of nuclear knowledge, and the incitement of social unrest. In contrast, the collapse of the illusion of the Zionist regime’s invincibility, along with the extensive destruction of key installations and strategic centres within the occupied territories, conveyed a powerful message to the world: that the cost of adventurism against the great nation of Iran is exceedingly grave,” he said.
On June 24, mass rallies were held in Tehran and other Iranian cities, with demonstrators expressing support for the armed forces. Protesters waved Iranian flags, carried portraits of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and fallen soldiers, and held signs reading, “We will stand firm till the end.”
Meanwhile, reports cited a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment indicating that the American airstrikes had not destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities but had only delayed them by a few months. President Trump had earlier claimed that the U.S. deployment of 30,000-pound bombs had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, but this appeared to be contradicted by internal assessments from one of his administration’s intelligence agencies.
One source noted that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remained largely intact, and much of its nuclear infrastructure — buried deep underground — may have only been set back by one or two months. Iran maintains that its nuclear research is solely for civilian energy purposes.
The conflict began on June 13, when Israel launched a surprise air assault targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and killing several top military commanders. Tehran has reiterated that its nuclear activities are peaceful and that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, at least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Israeli strikes since the beginning of the military campaign.
