In a dramatic turn of events in the ongoing Israel-Iran war, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire agreement following retaliatory missile attacks from Iran on a major U.S. military facility in the Middle East.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that both countries had shown the “Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence” to halt what he termed the “12 DAY WAR.” He added, “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will… This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!” In an interview with NBC, he described the ceasefire as “unlimited” and promised it would last “forever.”
Negotiations for the ceasefire occurred between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, while Vice President JD Vance held discussions with Tehran. A senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Israel agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that Iran would refrain from launching further attacks. Iran has indicated that no additional strikes are forthcoming.
Following the announcement, Israel’s Defense Forces issued evacuation warnings for areas of Tehran ahead of a possible strike, with social media users reporting significant explosions in the city, marking the fiercest military engagement since Israeli bombs began falling on Iran 12 days prior.
Iran’s Foreign Minister hinted at a pause in hostilities on social media, noting Iran had retaliated against Israel “until the very last minute, at 4am.” He added that if Israeli attacks ceased at 12:30 GMT, Iran would not pursue further retaliation.
Israel has yet to officially validate the ceasefire. According to Reuters, Qatar played a crucial role in facilitating the agreement, with its Prime Minister reportedly securing Iran’s concurrence in a conversation with Tehran.
This ceasefire announcement follows Iran’s missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which Iran claimed was in retaliation for U.S. support of Israel’s prior bombing campaign. The Qatari foreign ministry confirmed that its air defenses successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles, with no casualties reported, and indicated that Iran provided advance notice of the attack.
Over the weekend, Trump also initiated unprecedented strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities, including those in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow, under a military operation codenamed ‘Midnight Hammer,’ which utilized American B-2 bombers and bunker buster munitions. Trump asserted that these attacks had “completely and totally obliterated” the sites. However, the extent of the damage and potential long-term effects on Iran’s nuclear program remain uncertain.
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi noted that significant damage likely occurred at Fordow, a facility deeply embedded within a mountain. He stated, “Given the explosive payload utilized and the extremely vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred.”