US President Donald Trump, in a stunning Truth Social post, declared that a “complete and total” cease-fire had been agreed to in the conflict between Israel and Iran, due to take effect in phased steps, bringing an end to what he called the “12-day war.”
Trump on June 23 said the cease-fire will begin in "approximately six hours" and initially be for 12 hours, “at which point the War will be considered, ENDED.”
Some details remained unclear following Trump’s detailed social media post.
No immediate statement was offered by Iran or Israel. It was not stated if Iran had agreed to terms set down by the United States demanding the end to uranium enrichment.
“CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!” Trump posted.
"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!”
“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.”
Trump said that during the cease-fire, both sides will remain “peaceful and respectful.”
“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.”
“This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will! God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and GOD BLESS THE WORLD!”
As Trump posted the remarks, drone alerts and attacks were still being reported in both Israel and Iran.
Earlier, Trump said no Americans were harmed and hardly any damage was done when Iran fired missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on June 23, adding in a social media post that he hopes both Iran and Israel will "now proceed to Peace and Harmony."
Trump called it a "very weak response" to the US "obliteration" of Iran's nuclear facilities in an attack over the weekend and thanked Iran for giving the United States early notice, which he said made it possible to prevent the loss of life and injuries.
Many experts saw it as a sign that Iran did not want to escalate the crisis, given the limited strike against US interests and the fact that Tehran had given Washington prior notice.
"There have been 14 missiles fired -- 13 were knocked down, and 1 was 'set free' because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction," Trump said on Truth Social. He said the Iranians have now "gotten it all out of their 'system' and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE."
He suggested that Iran "can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region," adding that he would "enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same."
The US Defense Department earlier confirmed that Iran had launched multiple short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in the attack and said there were no reports of US casualties.
Qatar had previously said its air defenses thwarted the attack, which it said targeted the US air base, and said there were no casualties.
"The Ministry of Defense announced that Qatari air defenses successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base," the government said in a statement. "Thanks to God and the vigilance of the armed forces personnel and the precautionary measures taken, the incident resulted in no deaths or injuries."
Multiple explosions rocked Doha after Qatar and the United Arab Emirates closed their airspace amid regional fears of escalation between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Iran, which confirmed it had fired several missiles at an air base in Qatar, had earlier threatened to retaliate against US strikes on its Fordow nuclear plant the day before, mentioning US air bases in the region.
The Qatari Defense Ministry statement also condemned the attack, calling it a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty and airspace and said it "maintains the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the scale."
The ministry also warned that continued military escalation would undermine regional security and stability and push the region toward a point with potentially disastrous repercussions for international peace and security.
Saudi Arabia also condemned Iran's "unjustifiable" attack on Qatar and offered to deploy "all its capabilities" to support Doha.
"This is unacceptable and unjustifiable under any circumstances," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The Kingdom affirms its solidarity and full support for...Qatar and offers all its capabilities to support the sisterly State of Qatar in any measures it takes."
Ahead of the attack on Doha, the US and UK foreign offices issued warnings to their respective citizens against possible attacks, urging them to shelter in place out of caution. Many countries in the region closed their airspace and later reopened it.
Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East, and it is the regional headquarters for the US Central Command (CENTCOM). Several thousand US military forces are located at Al Udeid Air Base.
The US Embassy in Qatar lifted a shelter-in-place order following Iranian strikes. The embassy, which had told American citizens to shelter in place earlier on June 23, said in a notice posted on its website that it would reopen on June 24.
