WASHINGTON, June 24: In a major diplomatic breakthrough, Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday, ending a 12-day war that had gripped the Middle East and raised fears of a wider regional conflict. The truce, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, comes after days of intense hostilities, including missile barrages, deadly airstrikes, and a retaliatory Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Qatar.
President Trump announced the ceasefire on Truth Social early Tuesday, declaring, “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” His administration coordinated the deal through direct communications with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and indirect diplomatic efforts with Tehran, supported by Qatar.
The final exchange of hostilities saw a deadly escalation, with Iran launching a final wave of missiles into Israel early Tuesday, killing at least four people and injuring eight more, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services. Israel responded with a pre-dawn blitz of airstrikes targeting sites across Iran, including military infrastructure.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi indicated via X that Iranian missile strikes ceased at 4 a.m. Tehran time (8:30 p.m. ET Monday), but he insisted there was no formal agreement, stating, “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.” Nonetheless, Iran signaled it would not continue strikes if Israel did the same.
The ceasefire plan outlined by Trump was designed to unfold in stages: Iran was to halt strikes by midnight ET Tuesday, Israel would follow 12 hours later, and by midnight ET Wednesday, the war would be officially over. The White House said the timeline was agreed upon by both sides.
The conflict, which erupted on June 13, began when Israel launched strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets, reportedly killing several top commanders. Iran retaliated with sustained missile attacks on Israel, and eventually a limited strike on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which caused no casualties.
According to Human Rights Activists, Israel’s strikes in Iran have left at least 950 dead and 3,450 injured, a toll that includes military personnel and civilians. Iranian attacks have killed at least 24 Israelis, based on figures from Israeli officials.
The U.S. also launched strikes over the weekend on three key Iranian nuclear sites, intensifying fears of a broader war. Though Iran responded with missile fire, most were intercepted, and the damage was minimal.
President Trump credited the ceasefire to diplomatic coordination involving Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Qatar played a key mediation role, with its Emir and Prime Minister directly involved in persuading Iran to agree to the terms.
