AP Photo/Leo Correa, File
- President Donald Trump said Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire.The cease-fire will go into effect Tuesday morning local time, Trump said.The announcement comes after Israel and Iran spent the past week and a half trading strikes.
President Donald Trump said on Monday evening that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "complete and total" ceasefire that will begin early Tuesday morning local time.
Trump said in a Truth Social post just after 6 pm Eastern that a ceasefire will begin in about six hours, once Israel and Iran finish any attacks that are in progress, and that the pause in fighting will lead to an end to their brief but intense conflict.
Details were limited, but the president wrote that "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 ongoing Israel-Iran conflict does not officially have a name, but Trump wrote in his social media post that he "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.'"
The ceasefire announcement comes just days after the US struck Iran's nuclear program, prompting Iranian retaliation against an American airbase, and shortly after the Israeli military said its fighter jets had carried out airstrikes in western Iran, targeting underground military infrastructure.
Israel, on June 13, announced the start of a new operation that officials said was aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear program and its military capabilities.
Since then, Israeli combat aircraft have conducted strikes across Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, top scientists, senior commanders, bases, air defenses, missile launchers, weapons production sites, and more high-profile military infrastructure.
Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.
Over the weekend, the US military joined Israel in its offensive against Iran and bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities, an unprecedented move and a major escalation. Tehran retaliated on Monday by launching a volley of ballistic missiles at Al Udeid in Qatar, America's largest base in the Middle East.
However, Qatar said the attack was intercepted, and US officials said there were no reports of casualties. Trump later said Iran had telegraphed ahead of time that it was going to respond, suggesting that Iran may have calibrated its strikes to signal its frustration while also avoiding serious escalation.
The president then encouraged Iran and Israel to find a peaceful approach moving forward. The two countries have not made public announcements about the ceasefire.
The Trump administration has tried to reach lasting ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza. None of the efforts have panned out. It remains to be seen if this ceasefire will take effect and hold.
