Global tensions ease as Trump announces a sudden truce between Israel and Iran, halting two weeks of conflict.
Iran is unsure about the deal but has paused its military actions for now.
In a dramatic diplomatic development, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday night announced a full ceasefire between Israel and Iran, effectively ending the 12-day conflict that had brought the Middle East to the brink of wider war. The announcement, made via the official White House X account, described a phased de-escalation process agreed upon by both nations.
According to Trump’s statement, Iran would begin the ceasefire process, with Israel following after a 12-hour interval. The war would be officially declared over 24 hours after both countries observed the truce. “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)…at which point the War will be considered, ended!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president praised both nations for showing “stamina, courage, and intelligence,” claiming that without the agreement, the conflict could have dragged on for years and engulfed the entire region. Trump celebrated the deal as a victory for diplomacy and peace, although no formal documentation on enforcement or international monitoring was released at the time of the announcement.
The war, which had escalated rapidly over the past two weeks, saw mutual attacks including missile strikes and air raids that reportedly targeted infrastructure and border zones. Tensions rose to unprecedented levels, especially after Israel allegedly struck Iranian nuclear-related facilities, prompting intense retaliation from Tehran.
While Trump’s declaration signaled a diplomatic breakthrough, the Iranian response initially cast doubt on the ceasefire’s authenticity. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, in a social media post early Tuesday, refuted the existence of a formal deal. He emphasized that Iran never initiated the war and maintained that its military actions were purely retaliatory.
“There is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire,” Araghchi wrote. However, he added that if Israel halted its military operations by 4 a.m. Tehran time, Iran would not escalate further. In a subsequent post, the minister confirmed the end of Iran’s military actions, praising the armed forces for defending the nation “until the very last minute.”
Despite the firm tone, Araghchi’s remarks hinted at a de facto ceasefire that aligned with the timeline and framework presented by Trump. The change in rhetoric, from outright denial to acknowledgement of halted hostilities, indicated a mutual willingness to step back from the brink, even in the absence of a jointly signed document.
While global leaders and analysts await more details on the ceasefire’s implementation and durability, the announcement has already calmed market nerves. Oil prices began to stabilize following the news, and diplomatic channels in Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran remain active.
For now, the world watches as this fragile peace unfolds. Though the war may be over in name, the region’s deep-seated tensions will require ongoing diplomacy to avoid another flare-up.
