USA President Donald Trump has declared a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran
Trump’s announcement, made around 6 p.m. ET via his Truth Social platform, came as a surprise even to some of his top aides, according to The New York Times.
“On the assumption that everything works as it should — which it will — 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,’” Trump wrote. “This is a war that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East — but it didn’t, and never will!”
Speaking to NBC shortly after, Trump said, “I don’t believe they will ever be shooting at each other again.”
However, the ceasefire declaration was met with immediate skepticism. Iranian state media dismissed the reports as “fabrication” around 4 a.m. local time in Tehran (8:30 p.m. ET), stating that Iran would soon prove the claim false with a military response.
Still, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hinted at a possible pause in hostilities — but only if Israel halted its attacks first. “As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Araghchi posted on X. “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
He praised Iran’s armed forces for carrying out strikes up until the last minute of that deadline, adding, “They remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood.”
Despite this, the Israeli military reported that Iranian missile attacks continued beyond both the 4 a.m. Tehran deadline and Trump’s suggested timeline of a phased ceasefire, which called for Iran to stop at midnight ET and Israel to follow 12 hours later, with “an official end” to the war after 24 hours.
By 12:19 a.m. ET, Iranian media announced that the ceasefire would now begin. Trump followed up shortly after with another post: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s emergency services reported several waves of incoming missiles. At least four people were confirmed dead, and over a dozen were injured.
Israeli analyst Akiva Eldar told Al Jazeera that both sides appeared to be trying to frame the final hours of fighting as symbolic victories. “Each side wants to go out looking strong — the last images, the last damage inflicted, all feed the narrative,” he said.
Still, despite the confusion and continued violence, the reports of a ceasefire may mark the beginning of a fragile path toward de-escalation. As Eldar noted, “It may be the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel.”
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