Iran-Israel Ceasefire: US President Donald Trump brokered a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran on Monday (local time) during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump’s team was in contact with Iranian officials, a senior White House official said.
While Trump spoke with Netanyahu, US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, news agency Reuters said, quoting an unnamed official.
Earlier, Trump announced that Israel and Iran have agreed to a ‘complete and total ceasefire’ to be phased in over 24 hours. Trump’s announcement on Truth Social came hours after Iran launched a missile attack on a US air base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its three nuclear sites a day before.
The official quoted by Reuters said Israel agreed to the ceasefire so long as Iran does not launch fresh attacks. Iran signalled it would abide by the agreement, the official said.
Iran attacks US bases
Earlier in the day, Iran launched missile attacks on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the region.
In a statement, Iran’s top security body said that its armed forces used the same number of bombs that the US had used in attacking its nuclear facilities, news agency Reuters reported.
Trump had dismissed the attack as a ‘very weak response,’ revealing that Tehran had warned Washington in advance and that no injuries were reported. Trump had also said he would encourage Israel to also “proceed to Peace and Harmony.”
The US officials said on Sunday that the country’s military “obliterated” Iran’s main nuclear sites using 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft.
Israel agreed to the ceasefire so long as Iran does not launch fresh attacks.
The strikes marked an escalation in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, with Israel beginning to strike Iran on June 13. Israeli strikes on Iran have so far killed at least 950 people, wounded 3,450 others, news agency AP quoted a human rights group as saying on Sunday.
