After nearly two weeks of intensifying conflict, a ceasefire has been declared between Iran and Israel, bringing a fragile pause to a confrontation that had teetered on the edge of full-scale war and drawn in the United States. The announcement followed a dizzying 48 hours that saw the U.S. conduct an unprecedented airstrike on Iranian soil, Iran retaliate by targeting the largest U.S. air base in the region, and, ultimately, both Iran and Israel agree to halt hostilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who called the conflict the “12 Day War,” declared on Truth Social that a ceasefire was now in effect, warning, “PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” His announcement came as Israeli emergency crews responded to what appeared to be Iran’s final act in the conflict — a missile strike in Beer Sheva that killed at least five and injured 20 others. If the ceasefire holds, that attack may mark the end of a violent and volatile chapter in Middle Eastern history.
According to Trump, the ceasefire deal includes a phased de-escalation: Iran agreed to halt its attacks on Israel first, followed by a 12-hour window after which Israel would stop its military actions against Iran. While the exact implementation timeline remains unclear, a senior White House official confirmed that Israel’s acceptance of the deal was contingent on Iran’s immediate cessation of hostilities, a term Iran agreed to.
The agreement came together through high-level diplomacy, with Trump in direct contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff managed negotiations with Iran through a mix of direct and indirect channels. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani played a crucial role in brokering Iran’s agreement, enabling the U.S. president to officially announce the ceasefire.
While Trump has publicly claimed both Iran and Israel approached him seeking to end the conflict, Iranian state media portrayed the U.S. president’s outreach as “begging-like” following Iran’s retaliatory missile barrage on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. That strike, which came just hours before the ceasefire was announced, involved roughly a dozen ballistic missiles. However, thanks to early warnings from Tehran, U.S. and Qatari defenses intercepted all but one of the missiles, and no casualties were reported. Trump publicly thanked Iran for providing advance notice, framing it as a sign of a willingness to avoid further bloodshed.
“I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured,” Trump wrote. “Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE.”
Analysts have pointed to Iran’s decision to limit its retaliation as a rational strategic move. “Tehran’s choice to limit its retaliation and deescalate the crisis is rational on their part given overwhelming U.S. strength and Iranian weakness,” said Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities.
The roots of the conflict trace back to concerns over Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli government had asserted that Iran was on the brink of building a nuclear weapon, prompting Israel Defense Forces to launch preemptive strikes on nuclear facilities and Iranian scientists the night of June 12–13. The United States followed suit, deploying B-2 bombers to drop fourteen 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on two fortified Iranian nuclear sites. It was the first time the U.S. had used its most powerful non-nuclear weapon in combat.
Whether the ceasefire will truly hold remains uncertain. Despite the terms of the agreement, Iran launched a deadly strike on Israel just as its attacks were supposed to cease under Trump’s timeline. The coming days will test the strength of the agreement and the willingness of both nations to pull back from the brink. For now, the world watches — cautiously optimistic but deeply wary — as one of the most volatile flashpoints in modern history settles into an uneasy silence.
