US President Donald Trump has announced what he called a “complete and total” ceasefire between Israel and Iran, even though both countries were still fighting at the time.
Trump made the announcement late Monday, just hours after Iran fired missiles at a US military base in Qatar. That attack was in response to Sunday’s American airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Qatari officials said they intercepted the Iranian missiles after Iran gave them a warning.
In a message on social media, Trump wrote, “I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end what should be called ‘THE 12 DAY WAR.’”
He added, “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!”
However, Iran said it has not agreed to a ceasefire. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Iran would stop its attacks only if Israel ends its “illegal aggression” by 4 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
As of the time of Trump’s announcement, Israel had not confirmed any ceasefire, and reports said both countries were still attacking each other, with explosions heard in several cities.
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched a surprise airstrike on Iran, which drew global criticism. Countries like Nigeria, China, and Saudi Arabia condemned the attack. But Western nations, including the US, UK, and Germany, did not openly criticise Israel and instead urged diplomacy.
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Israel said it struck first to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons, even though Iran has said its nuclear program is peaceful. In response, Iran fired missiles and drones into Israel.
The war has killed hundreds of people. Israeli airstrikes have killed many Iranians, while Iranian missile attacks have killed dozens in Israel. Both sides have suffered damage to military and civilian buildings.
The situation worsened when Israel and its allies pushed for US military support. At first, Trump refused to join the war. But after pressure from Israeli officials and pro-Israel groups in the US, he approved airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Trump later said those strikes were “very successful.” He added, “NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”
Despite the damage, many experts believe Iran had already moved most of its nuclear material to secret locations. But the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the US strikes caused serious destruction to the nuclear sites.
Iran’s missile attack on the US base in Qatar came as a direct response to those strikes.
Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire suggests the US wants to calm the situation and avoid further conflict. However, the lack of official confirmation from both Israel and Iran means the fighting may not yet be over.