Washington, D.C. U.S. President Donald Trump, on Monday evening, announced the commencement of a comprehensive ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, bringing an end to what he called the “12-Day War.”
The announcement was made via the official White House account on X (formerly Twitter), citing a statement from the President that outlined the structure and timing of the ceasefire.
According to Trump, the truce will be considered fully in effect after a 24-hour observation period by both nations.
“Congratulations to everyone! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ended!” he posted.
The ceasefire, as explained by Trump, would unfold in stages. Iran is expected to lead the peace effort by initiating the first 12-hour period of non-aggression, followed by Israel. If both parties uphold their commitment, the war will be formally declared over after 24 hours.
“Officially, Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th hour, an official end to the 12-day war will be saluted by the world. During each ceasefire, the other side will remain peaceful and respectful,” he wrote.
The President commended the leadership of both countries, applauding their “stamina, courage, and intelligence” during the conflict. He emphasized that what could have become a prolonged regional war was averted through diplomacy and decisive action, describing the agreement as a significant win for peace in the Middle East.
As of the time of the announcement, the White House has not released any official documents detailing the enforcement structure of the ceasefire or the involvement of international monitoring bodies.
Iran Responds with Mixed Signals
Shortly after the U.S. announcement, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, issued a series of responses via his verified X account early Tuesday morning. In his first statement, Araghchi denied the existence of any signed ceasefire agreement, stating:
“As Iran has repeatedly made clear, Israel launched war on Iran, not the other way around. As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. 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. The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.”
In a follow-up post, the Iranian diplomat confirmed a pause in military actions, signaling a potential alignment with the ceasefire conditions outlined by President Trump:
“The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 a.m. Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who responded to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute.”
Although the language from Tehran remained assertive, the change in tone marked a step toward de-escalation and mirrored the outline of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire suggesting a tacit, if not formal, cessation of hostilities.
