Washington/Tehran/Tel Aviv: President Donald Trump has announced that the “12-day war” between Israel and Iran was expected to conclude with a ceasefire, presenting the development as proof that his decision to order a major US airstrike on three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend had paid off.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE,” Trump wrote on social media.
There was no immediate confirmation from either Israel or Iran, and the details of the proposed agreement remained unclear.
The White House reposted Trump’s message alongside a photo of the president holding a red cap with the words “Trump was right about everything” printed in all capital letters.
A ceasefire would offer a measure of relief to a tense and volatile region. However, the broader situation in the Middle East remains unstable, and it is difficult to predict how the longer-term dynamics will unfold.
While the Israeli and US bombing campaign has likely slowed Iran’s nuclear enrichment efforts, it may have also hardened Tehran’s resolve to pursue a nuclear weapon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on X that no ceasefire deal has been confirmed at this time. His remarks came amid ongoing reports of explosions in the Iranian capital and other cities, indicating that Israeli airstrikes are continuing.
“In the last hour, we’ve still heard the sounds of explosions across Tehran and other parts of the country,” Araghchi noted, suggesting that hostilities remain active.
Iranian officials have previously made it clear they will not halt their response as long as Israeli attacks persist.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani played a crucial role in obtaining Iran’s approval for a US-backed ceasefire with Israel, according to Reuters, citing a source familiar with the negotiations.
Following a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir—during which Trump informed the Emir that Israel had accepted the ceasefire proposal and requested Qatar’s assistance—Prime Minister Al Thani spoke directly with Iranian officials to secure their agreement.
The diplomatic efforts took place just hours after Iran launched missile attacks on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expressed gratitude to the country’s armed forces and indicated that military operations against Israel persisted right up until the ceasefire deadline, suggesting the conflict may have come to a close.
“The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 a.m.,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
Interestingly, Israel accepted the ceasefire agreement on the condition that Iran halt its attacks within Israeli territory, according to a senior White House official speaking to CNN. The official stated that Iran agreed to those terms.
Throughout the negotiations, US President Donald Trump maintained direct contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff led talks with Iran, using both direct and indirect channels to finalise the agreement.
