Tehran/Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in effect, urging both nations to uphold the agreement despite continued violence on both sides. His declaration has raised cautious optimism for an end to the 12-day conflict that has shaken the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had accepted Trump’s ceasefire proposal, claiming that the country had achieved its objective of neutralizing Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. He added, however, that Israel would respond firmly to any breach of the truce.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”
Just before the announced ceasefire began, a barrage of missile strikes hit Israel early morning. Iranian rockets struck Beersheba, killing four, according to Israel’s emergency services, while Iranian officials reported nine fatalities from a “terrorist attack” in the northern province of Gilan. Iranian media claimed that the attack killed nuclear scientist Mohammadreza Sediqi and linked it to Israeli actions, possibly before the ceasefire’s enforcement.
Trump had initially floated the idea of a “complete ceasefire” on Monday, suggesting a phased implementation that would allow both sides to wrap up active operations before halting hostilities. His move came after a dramatic escalation: over the weekend, the U.S. joined Israel in bombing Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile strikes on a U.S. base in Qatar.
Reports of explosions near Tel Aviv and southern Israeli cities early Tuesday were matched by Iranian claims of having launched their final missile strikes just before the truce began.
While Tehran has acknowledged the ceasefire, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned that continued Israeli aggression would nullify Iran’s commitment. “If Israel ends its unlawful military actions by 4 a.m. Tehran time, we will cease our response,” Araqchi said on X (formerly Twitter), adding that the final decision on Iran’s military stance would come later.
The ceasefire was reportedly brokered during a series of high-level negotiations involving Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Despite the ceasefire, the situation remains volatile. Israel had earlier hinted it was nearing the conclusion of its campaign against Iranian targets and communicated this intention to Washington. Netanyahu reportedly instructed his cabinet to refrain from making public statements, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
Financial markets responded positively to the ceasefire announcement. U.S. stock futures rose slightly, while oil prices dipped amid eased concerns of a broader Middle East conflict.
On Monday, Trump appeared to downplay Iran’s retaliatory strike on the U.S. base, saying it caused no casualties and was expected. He praised Iran for providing advance notice and emphasized his interest in promoting regional peace.
The U.S. had joined Israel in deploying bunker-buster bombs over the weekend to destroy underground Iranian nuclear sites. The Trump administration insists that the campaign aimed solely to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and avoid a wider war.
Vice President Vance, speaking on Fox News, declared the mission a success: “Iran can no longer construct a nuclear weapon with what they have left.”
However, some U.S. intelligence agencies maintain that Iran had not resumed efforts to build a nuclear bomb, and sources familiar with classified assessments said that this view remains unchanged.
In a recent social media post, Trump hinted at broader ambitions, including confronting Iran’s clerical leadership, which has been a long-standing U.S. adversary since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Meanwhile, Israel has made clear that its strikes targeted not just military installations but also institutions symbolic of the Iranian regime, including Evin prison—an infamous site associated with political detentions.
