Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire now in place, urges all sides to respect it

Trump Declares Israel-Iran Ceasefire in Effect, Urges Both Sides to Honor It

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in place, urging both nations not to violate it. His statement came just hours after Iran launched multiple missile strikes, which Israel’s ambulance service reported had killed four people in Beersheba — the first fatalities in Israel since the ceasefire was proposed.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”

When Trump first announced what he described as a complete ceasefire on Monday, ending 12 days of conflict, he appeared to allow both sides to complete ongoing operations before the ceasefire fully took effect. Witnesses reported hearing explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba shortly before his announcement, as Iran launched six waves of missiles.

Iran's semi-official SNN news agency reported that Tehran fired its final round of missiles just before the ceasefire deadline. A senior White House official said Trump had brokered the agreement during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Israel agreeing as long as Iran halted further attacks. Trump praised both sides, writing: "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.'"

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had warned that Tehran would not halt hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks by 4 a.m. Tehran time. "The final decision on ending our military operations will be made later," Araqchi posted on X.

The recent escalation began when Israel, joined by the United States, launched strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, claiming Tehran was close to developing nuclear weapons. Iran denies pursuing a nuclear weapons program, though Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that if Iran chose to build one, world powers "wouldn’t be able to stop us." Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, does not confirm or deny its arsenal.

Qatar played a key role in mediating the ceasefire, with its Prime Minister securing Tehran's agreement during calls with Iranian officials. US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff also held direct and indirect talks with the Iranians, according to the White House.

Neither Iran’s UN mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to requests for comment. However, Israeli officials had privately signaled to Washington their desire to wind down the campaign. Netanyahu reportedly instructed cabinet ministers not to comment publicly.

Financial markets reacted positively to news of the ceasefire. S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late Monday, and oil prices dipped as concerns over supply disruptions eased.

US-Iran Tensions Escalated After American Air Base Attack

Earlier on Monday, Trump had expressed appreciation for what he described as Iran’s “early notice” of a missile attack on a US air base that resulted in no casualties. He dismissed the attack as weak and easily countered. According to Trump, Iran fired 14 missiles at the base. The restrained Iranian response was seen as an attempt to save face while avoiding a wider conflict.

The latest flare-up followed US airstrikes over the weekend in which American bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear facilities, joining Israel's campaign. Much of Tehran’s population has since fled amid days of bombing.

The Trump administration maintains that the goal of the strikes was solely to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, not to spark a broader war. “Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said in a Fox News interview. “Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it.”

While Trump cited intelligence suggesting Iran was nearing a nuclear capability, US intelligence agencies have continued to assess that Tehran was not actively building a bomb. A source with access to these reports told Reuters that this assessment remained unchanged.

On Sunday, Trump suggested that the strikes could weaken Iran’s hardline clerical regime, which has been in power since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Israel had openly targeted sites such as Evin Prison and other regime infrastructure, aiming to undermine the government’s ability to maintain control.