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President Donald Trump on Monday announced what he called a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” between Israel and Iran, framing the tentative agreement as a direct result of his decision to authorize U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump said the phased ceasefire, set to begin Tuesday, followed direct communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and indirect talks with Iranian officials. A senior White House official credited Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff for helping secure the deal, with mediation support from Qatar.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Iran would halt attacks if Israel did the same by 4 a.m. Tehran time. However, Iranian strikes on Israel resumed after that deadline, raising questions about the ceasefire’s durability. Israel has yet to publicly confirm participation.
“This is a war that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will,” Trump said in a social media post.
Trump dubbed the conflict the “12 Day War,” likening it to Israel’s historic Six-Day War of 1967. He claimed both Israel and Iran approached him seeking peace, writing, “The future for Israel & Iran is UNLIMITED.”
The ceasefire follows U.S. airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, a move that Trump and aides say significantly damaged Iran’s enrichment capacity. However, questions remain about Iran’s remaining nuclear material and its intentions moving forward.
In a retaliatory move, Iran fired 14 missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, 13 of which were intercepted. Trump thanked Iran for providing “early notice,” and expressed hope the attack marked the end of hostilities.
The Biden administration has yet to comment on the developments. As Trump prepares to attend a NATO summit in the Netherlands, his campaign and allies have hailed the ceasefire as a historic diplomatic victory.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared the outcome “unprecedented,” while Vice President Vance called the episode “an important reset moment for the entire region.”
With information from AP.
