WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump announced Monday evening that Israel and Iran have agreed to a phased ceasefire, signaling what he called the “Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR.” The ceasefire, which Trump described as “Complete and Total,” is set to begin within six hours of his announcement, with Iran initiating the pause in hostilities, followed by Israel twelve hours later. If the timeline holds, the war could be officially declared over by Wednesday.
“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World.”
The announcement came after a weekend of escalating violence that saw the United States launch airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting a retaliatory missile attack by Iran on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. According to U.S. officials, thirteen of the fourteen missiles were intercepted, and the remaining one landed in a non-threatening area. No casualties were reported. The Qatari government condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty, though it acknowledged that the strike was successfully thwarted.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement saying the missile strike was a proportional response to the U.S. bombing campaign and emphasized that the action posed no threat to Qatar’s civilian population. President Trump, in a follow-up post, downplayed the Iranian retaliation. “Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered,” he wrote. “Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE.”
Vice President JD Vance, appearing on Fox News shortly after the announcement, praised the president’s efforts to broker the ceasefire. “We were actually working on that just as I left the White House to come over here. So that’s good news, that the president was able to get that across the finish line.” Vance added that Trump had been “working the phones” in the hours leading up to the announcement. When asked about the location of Iran’s enriched uranium, Vance deflected, saying, “Our goal was to bury the uranium, and I do think the uranium is buried. The goal was to eliminate the enrichment and eliminate their ability to convert that enriched fuel into a nuclear weapon.”
Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its military campaign by targeting Evin Prison and the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran. Iran responded with “Operation True Promise 3,” launching missiles at the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X, “We neither initiated the war nor are seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”
The conflict, which began on June 13 with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, has resulted in significant casualties. Iranian sources report over 900 deaths, while Israeli officials confirm at least 24 fatalities. The U.S. strikes over the weekend marked the first direct American military involvement in the conflict, further escalating tensions and prompting global concern.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place advisory for American citizens, and the State Department released a global caution alert, warning of potential demonstrations and disruptions to travel. Oil prices, which had surged amid fears of a broader war, dropped sharply following the ceasefire announcement.
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the situation remains fragile. Trump, however, expressed optimism that the deal would hold. “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!” he wrote in a separate post. “Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.”
As the world watches, the coming hours will determine whether this ceasefire marks the end of a brief but intense war—or merely a pause in a longer and more dangerous conflict.