President Trump announced Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed on a “Complete and Total” ceasefire, a move he said would end a more than weeklong conflict between the two countries.
The ceasefire will start in about six hours, and after 12 hours, the “War will be considered, ENDED,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, indicating that the ceasefire would begin at midnight ET.
“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,” the president said.
There has been no official word yet from Israel or Iran on a ceasefire.
The conflict between Israel and Iran began June 13 with Israel launching airstrikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets. The strikes — which killed several top Iranian military officials — prompted Iranian counterattacks on Israel.
At least 950 people have been killed and 3,450 wounded in Israel’s strikes in Iran, including a mix of military personnel and civilians, the group Human Rights Activists told the Associated Press. Iran’s attacks have killed at least 24 people in Israel, according to Israeli officials.
The U.S. took military action against Iran over the weekend, striking three sites that are believed to be key to Iran’s nuclear program. The move sparked fears of a wider war, but Iran’s response on Monday was fairly limited. Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar, most of which were intercepted, and no injuries were reported, U.S. and Qatari officials said.
Iran called its response “devastating and powerful,” but Mr. Trump called it “very weak.” The president said in another social media post that he wanted “to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost.”
Israel’s campaign was primarily aimed at Iran’s nuclear program, as the country’s stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium has grown rapidly in recent months, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran has long insisted its uranium enrichment program is peaceful.
This is a breaking story; it will be updated.
Margaret Brennan
contributed to this report.
